Space Jump
by lalunaticscribe
Summary: The Terror incarnate that destroyed many civilisations and earned the Green Lantern Corps' ire was called Yubel. Darkness and Light are hardly allies, and now it looks that war between opposites would begin. Unless something is done...and fast. COMPLETE
1. Prologue: Hero Kid

_**Space Jump**_

_**An LLS Production**_

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue: Hero Kid<strong>

No one can ever understand save those who were trapped in hell called the Phantom Zone.

Fear and pain? Mere trifles against a larger ache. Try and block out the endless shadows and receive only mocking laughter in ruthless return. Light is never so treasured as by those who have been blinded.

Try it. Try choking on the darkness until all you breathe is the night. Try wandering the endless pathways of your mind until days melt into years and into centuries more, and still all you can do is keep searching and pray for the darkness to vanish.

There are times when he must have been mad.

Rant and tear and hear their own scream at the black empty space when only the echoes of your voice come back to haunt you.

Loneliness? Mere loneliness? Who would dare to name it such a paltry thing?

Here, wherever here was, was dark, and even its inhabitants feared and hated it.

"_Get me out..._"

A voice once filled with power rumbling across the dark shadows.

"_I want out... and the herald shall provide it..._"

There were others, he knew, occasionally hearing the mocking laughter and cruel snickers that echoed in this dark hellish prison of loneliness.

"_You cannot stop me, darkness..._" the proud fighter roared to the darkness, like Ozymandias fighting fate.

_Well?_ He thought. _Answer that, darkness. _

_Take me if you can. _

_But don't ever think that you'll win. _

Only silence answered.

* * *

><p>A wide expanse of darkness shrouds the final frontier of space, garlands of the stars and planets and moons decorating it like so many jewels, the planets, large and multi-coloured like the centrepieces amidst an exhibition of baubles. Where exactly amidst the expanse of darkness we begin this tale is quite unknown, but we are certainly <em>somewhere.<em>

From within this blackness, a flame-coloured beryl of a comet streaked the blackness, all the while flying, past a belt of rocks like mud-coloured beads, past the jade-green Uranus and the lapis-lazuli Neptune, past Saturn and its great rings of red gold, past the reddish jewels of Jupiter and Mars, all the while towards one blue-green marble, swirls of green and brown marring some sort of quaint bluish-green backdrop the colour of which could only be summarised as one word: sea.

Here was Earth, and here is where our story begins.

* * *

><p>Somewhere on the Ganges River, a boy stood on the prow of a wooden canoe-like boat speeding down the holy river.<p>

This boy, at first, looked nothing special. He had brown hair, brown eyes slanted in very much the Asian style, his pale skin stood out amongst the population of India, and his wear did not differ much to the population, since India had taken to modern wear since the advent of the Western world. His red jacket was worn open, exposing the black tee he wore underneath to match his navy blue jeans and red-streaked sneakers. His age, one would guess, was about late teens to mid-twenties, and if ou really wanted to be technical about it, his soul was much older than its vessel.

Well, the fact that there was no one else on the moving wooden non-propelled boat was a clue that he was hardly the average human. The fact that such a young man was alone was another. The last and most glaring clue which we omitted earlier was the white device on his arm, the DuelDisk was was open, the card-plates glowing a soft rainbow.

_You really shouldn't abuse the Neo-Spacians like this, _a feminine-sounding voice softly spoke, unheard by all save the boy.

_Nya, that's no problem, _another voice, this one masculine, replied. _Pharaoh hates water, don't you, nya?_

"Meow," the brown tabby cat, named Pharaoh, sounded in the boy's backpack.

_Kuri, _something that could only be described as a brown fur-ball with white dove's wings floated next to the boy, unseen, unheard and untouched save by the spirit-seer.

"I'm not the one who sank the ship!" the boy protested, albeit good-naturedly.

_Judai, you gave me power to deal with them, _the female voice replied. _You are responsible as well, though indirectly. _

"Fine, fine," the boy, by the name of Judai Yuuki, former alumni of Duel Academy, grumbled. "Judai Yuuki is in India! Duellists, watch out!"

It was at that very same moment that on the earlier-mentioned comet, some signal was triggered, and a green light shone on it.

The lit comet crashed through the atmosphere, shattering on impact, its fragments already gaining speed through free-fall, the largest metallic fragment already accelerating with the Earth's gravity to crash exactly before the boat, sending large waves crashing towards the land on either side of the river. And, of course, the boat.

"Aqua Dolphin!" Judai called as he and the spirits, with accompanying backpack and cat, jumped towards the banks.

A humanoid dolphin, blue and white skin gleaming in the moonlight, evacuated to the damp bank at the same time the wave crashed where the Duel Monster would be previously.

"What the–?" Judai spoke as the thing in the river, the metallic thing that looked like some sort of organism except silvery with flashing strobe lights and well, basically alien began to move.

The Duellist of the Neo-Spacians blinked as he looked down a glowing green light.

* * *

><p>The Green Lantern Corps was a police organisation with its range spread throughout the universe in general. Strangely enough, Earth was placed a a sort of unofficial base, if not due to the great presence of Green Lanterns based on Earth then perhaps due to personal preference. None of the aliens quite knew why, and didn't dare investigate.<p>

One of the Green Lanterns based on Earth and everything in the sector divided by some odd system known only to the Green Lantern Corps in general was the ex-Marine John Stewart. Said Green Lantern was now in the Justice League Watchtower, that technologically advanced space station hovering above the Earth in space, reading a holographic missive that had nothing to do with the League and everything to do with the Green Lantern Corps and its upcoming actions on Earth.

The Lantern whistled. "Nasty."

"What you reading, GL?" the red speedster known and beloved to all (except anyone on the receiving end on him) as the Flash asked, popping up behind him at the speed of light, or at least something close to that velocity.

"Green Lantern Corps high-security details," the Green Lantern grunted, closing the holographic reader on his ring. "Not up for discussion. Just that the Guardians sent a Hunter to retrieve someone on Earth. And we should be on standby. Just in case."

"How bad could he be?" Flash asked.

The man's answer was interrupted by an alarm that sounded throughout the Watchtower, as staff and heroes alike paused in their activity of choice. Mere seconds later, the voice of Shayera Hol rang in through the intercom: "Green Lantern, report to the transporter. There's some trouble in India now."

Green Lantern slowly blinked. "India?"

There was a blink of an eye, and the man glowed green with the gifted power of the Green Lantern.

"Crap." he groaned, frustrated.

"Why?" Flash blinked.

"The pursuer was somewhere in India right now," he groaned in reply, flying to the transporter, Flash keeping up with super-speed.

The two stopped with aplomb on the lit teleporter platform, Shayera already manning the console and typing coordinates. "India. Something causing a ruckus. It's destroying things. Go."

"No other hero available?" Lantern asked just before the light enveloped him.

"Hey, wait–" Flash had not finished his words before he and the Lantern were disassembled molecule by molecule.

The process of teleportation was hardly painful, the part where molecules were disassembled hardly more than a slight discomfort, as reported by those travelling via teleportation, i.e. the League. The process of _reassembling_ molecules into the original object, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoyable, but still stomach-turning and overcome only by long habit.

When Lantern and Flash materialised, they could only stare, dumbfounded, at the wreckage of one part of the otherwise peaceful banks of the Ganges, thankfully consisting mostly of road craters. Needless to say, whatever uncomfortable bodily sensations of the moment were forgotten.

"No lives lost yet," Lantern murmured, looking at the wreckage on either side. "Right. Where's the fire? It's too quiet."

"Where's the screaming crowds?" Flash asked in a fit of inspiration.

Green Lantern rolled his eyes at the night skies. "It's night_,_ idiot. Even devotees need to sleep at two in the morning."

"Oh," Flash replied. "I thought they're all in that pink dome right there."

Silence... "Flash. _What_ pink dome?"

* * *

><p>"Go, Neos!" Judai called as the what's-its-name was methodically pummelled under the capable hands of the Elemental Hero Neos. And fists. And feet. And strength. Anyway, pummelled it was indeed, and well, indeed. By the time Neos was finished, there were bruises where there shouldn't be bruises. And cracks. Among other things.<p>

_Overkill? _Yubel, the feminine-sounding dark Duel spirit murmured, amused.

"It tried to kill me," Judai defensively replied.

_Indeed it did, _Yubel muttered in reply. _Why couldn't I destroy it instead? _

_But why? _The rather sensible Professor Daitokuji, formerly of Duel Academy, asked.

Yubel poked at the chest plate of the pink whatever-it-was that Neos had just torn off and thrown to the side, of course well away from Judai and company, tracing the white symbol of the lantern burnished into it. _This symbol... I have heard of it and seen it on my travels through space, beloved. The Green Lantern and its soldiers, and __their masters the Guardians of Oa, the planet at the centre of the universe. It is said to be the source of the greatest power of the universe._

"Is it?" Judai asked, interested.

_It cannot survive down a black hole, if you must know. It is part of the Healing Light, Judai, a sometime ally of the Dark of Right, but often the two forces oppose out of misunderstanding. _

"Ah," Judai nodded in understanding. "So this what's-its-name is... one of the good guys?"

Then the pile of bruised flesh spoke. "I have a name, you know."

"Eek!" Judai jumped back as Neos cracked his knuckles once more.

"Wait! Wait!" the sentient pile of scrap spoke. "Enough! Uncle! Uncle!"

"Uncle?" Judai cocked his head. "Who are you anyway?"

"I am Kilowog of the Green Lantern Corps," the being spoke, wincing at its bruises as it stood. "My apologies for shocking you, earthling. I am here to arrest and retrieve a great villain."

"Wow," Judai slowly nodded as Neos slowly lowered its fists. "A real alien."

"-.-... Could you please call off your guardian now? And what you did?" The Green Lantern waved at the pink mist-like presence around them.

"Well you see," Judai explained with exaggerated patience. "I don't really know if you're a hostile being or not, so I'm going to keep you here to stop you from trying anything. I mean, you destroyed about half the houses on either side of the river before I could draw Neo Space, and wide-scale property destruction is a rather big no, really."

The humanoid pink-skinned alien in black and green spandex thought for a moment. "Well, I can't argue with that. So how do I prove it?"

Judai frowned. "Why did you attack me?"

"Ah, yeah. I thought you were this really dangerous person I'm supposed to arrest on inter-galactic charges," the alien sheepishly replied. "And as for the property damage... well, I thought you were that person."

"Well, police are supposed to be good," Judai shrugged as the field powered off, the aurora-like light faded to show the Ganges River, alight under the light of the half-moon and Kilowog floating above the water with the help of his glowing green aura courtesy of the ring, despite his injuries, and Judai standing on the still intact boat. "Right, apology accepted."

"Yeah..." Kilowog slowly nodded. "Boys should be at home this late in the night, you know, kid."

"I've reached my majority," Judai replied. "And I'm travelling. Oh, yeah. Judai Yuuki here, nice to meet you," he bowed.

Kilowog slowly nodded. "I am Kilowog of the Bolovax of Bolovax Vik, member of the Green Lantern Corps. A pleasure to meet you, and I do apologise for the misunderstanding."

_A bit far, _Yubel murmured. _Bolovax Vik might be closer than others, but still far. But hardly a considerable distance for a soldier of the Green Lantern. _

Judai was too caught up in Yubel's murmurs to notice that Kilowog had stiffened again.

"There it is..." Kilowog whispered, and Judai snapped his attention back to the alien. "That malevolence..."

A bead of sweat rolled down Judai's brow as the brunet put together the most likely scenario. _Yubel, while the Light of Destruction was still driving you crazy, did you do anything to anywhere around this guy's planet? _

_I cannot remember, _she replied quietly._ There were a lot of planets I have destroyed in my time._

"Your planet is not safe!" Kilowog howled. Alien or no, there was that light in its eyes shared by every sentient being; that of the fear of death. "Go, find shelter! Quickly!"

_Interesting. Materialise me, Judai. I will see if he has truly seen me before._

_If you say so..._

To the human eye, the tips of leathery wings edged with sharp horns formed first, followed by pinkish skin, arms and legs ending with claws and talons and then black-grey armour almost completely exposing one of its legs, then messy hair, half of it white, half of it violet, and the pupil of the third eye between eyes of orange and teal throbbed red on its face, as the body of the Duel Monster was rather hermaphroditic, half male and half female. Lips of blue curved into a slight smile as the pink alien before the pair became a lighter pink.

"_Traurig Drachen_," Kilowog whispered, half in fear and half in panic. "They never talk of you on my planet. When it is, they murmur as if speaking of you would bring you to them..."

Judai noted that fear might give way to anger soon and decided that now was the time to get out of Dodge before Yubel's past psychopathic tendencies to destroy things came to bite him in the ass. "Yubel. Let's go while the going's good."

The Monster sighed. "Very well. Where to?"

"I've always wanted to see the Taj Mahal," Judai remarked as he slowly stepped away from the alien. "But first we've got to find a place to kip..."

"For the destruction of over thirty planets, you are hereby placed under arrest," Kilowog had snapped out of the daze of initial fear brought on from a childhood of secrets and the telling and retelling of stories half-whispered by fearfully superstitious aliens. "I am your arresting officer, Kilowog of the Bolovax of Bolovax Vik. You will be escorted to face trial in Oa. Anything you say or do may be used against you in your trial– hey, stop! "

"Run!" Judai took off, Yubel flying behind him. Pharaoh yowled as the backpack bounced. "Sorry, Pharaoh!"

"You are under arrest by the Green Lantern Corps, do not even think of escaping!" The alien flew after them.

"How do I get off, how do I– oh, right!" Judai snapped his fingers as his other hand drew a card. "Heh, will do. Yubel!"

The Fiend of Roses was already dissolving. _Go for it. _

"_Compulsory Evacuation Device_!"

The brown-haired Duellist disappeared at the same time Kilowog collided into the wall. Lantern and Flash had only just arrived as the alien slid off.

"What's going on?" Flash blinked.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Stay tuned for the next chapter: Rose Witch. Duel, standby!<strong>_


	2. Rose Witch

_**And we present the next chapter!**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One: Rose Witch<strong>

_Once upon a time, as all good stories start off with... there was a dragon. _

_This dragon wandered the galaxies, destroying everything in its path. Within a short time, its legend had spread throughout, creating fear in the heart of any being intelligent enough to know it. There were greater threats, of course, but those were understood; the dragon was not. _

_Then, in the eyes of those of Apokolips, their dictator Darkseid had redeemed himself, if however slightly, in destroying the dragon, however much power he expended to do so. The dragon was a force to be reckoned with, feeding upon the doubt and despair of sentient beings to increase its power, its ability to bestow power to the desperate what led to what would be called in Apokolips as _Götterdämmerung.

_This dragon's name... none would speak of it. Like the devil, they seemed to think, speak of it and it shall appear... and some say... that even the dark dictator never wanted to face the dragon ever again._

* * *

><p>"These wounds were designed to incapacitate, not to kill," Shayera Hol, the Hawkgirl, stated. "We'll apply first aid for now, and then let the professionals at him. What happened?"<p>

"We saw a pink dome, then the dome collapsed, and before we arrived at the site we heard a sound," the Marine in John Stewart made an appearance. "When we came to the site of the sound, he was sliding off a brick wall."

"Someone capable of evading even the Flash, the so-called fastest man alive," Shayera sceptically stated.

"Hey!" said speedster protested.

"Nevertheless, someone capable of defeating a Green Lantern is someone dangerous," Lantern cut off further protest. "Presumably, Kilowog was injured by the perp resisting arrest."

"Perp?" Hawkgirl nodded. "Who, then?"

"Someone apparently responsible for the destruction of over thirty planets," Green Lantern's voice had dropped to a whisper. "The Guardians discuss it amongst themselves, but never say its name. The Corps have been trying to trace it for eight Earth years, but somehow the thing escapes us or defeats us. We don't even know its name, only that it occasionally appears and destroys planets and civilisations alike in one go."

"Still, anything with power enough to fight a Green Lantern makes it dangerous," Shayera analysed. "What is it, exactly?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Katma Tui spoke of it once. She called it _Das_ _Traurig Drachen_. The Sorrowful Dragon."

"Hang on... so, a being capable of gleefully destroying planets on a whim... is on Earth." Flash spoke out loud. "Bugger. There goes my weekend plans."

Shayera was more rational. "Still, if it was there, why didn't it kill Kilowog?"

Silence met her question.

"I don't know," was his honest reply.

* * *

><p>Compulsory Evacuation Device was a rather unique Trap amongst those capable of tapping the Heart of the Cards. It enabled travelling Duellists to evacuate to the nearest safe place away from wild cards or rogue Duellists. 'Safe', of course, was a wild definition, hence it was up to the Duellist's strength of will to decide the location and degree of accuracy. Judai's own use of the card always took him to Norway, right outside the seaside cabin that was the current residence of one Johan Andersen.<p>

"Ow!" Judai stood from where the card had landed him on his arse right outside the cabin, rubbing a sore arse. "Well, this puts a damper on travelling."

_Shut up and get indoors, _Yubel chided.

"Hmph," Judai grunted in response. "Er... it's night."

_Either knock or sleep outside in the cold, _Yubel pointed out.

Almost on cue, a cold north wind howled.

"I hate you sometimes," Judai reached out to knock on the wood door.

A light appeared in the previously dim window, and before Judai's fist could land the oak portal opened to reveal a sleepy Johan Andersen, blue hair tousled, rubbing tired teal eyes. "My Judai senses tingled. Thought so," the Scandinavian murmured.

"You know me so well, it's almost scary sometimes," Judai quipped. "Can I come in?"

"No coffee for you 'n th' morn'ng," Johan sleepily replied, stepping to the side to let his friend in.

"None?" Judai took up a mocking tone of hurt.

"None," Johan yawned. "Extra 'ggs, though."

"Well, that's okay, I guess," Judai shrugged. He could, and had, gone without before. "I just need a place to kip and hide out."

"Oh?" Johan yawned.

"Yeah. Apparently some intergalactic police came to arrest Yubel."

It was a surprising testament to Johan's tolerance, or his lethargy, or a combination of both, or it was the general existence of Duel Spirits and all associated craziness that had immunised him, that the blue-haired Gem Beast Duellist did nothing but yawn in response to the declaration. "That's nice. Take the couch. Everyone except Ruby is in my bed due to a cold. We've been nursing all day, and me and Ruby are just about tired. Can Duel spirits even get sick? At least Rainbow Dragon haven't fallen yet. I mean, how d'you nurse a dragon?"

"We'll find a way," Judai yawned as the after-effects of adrenaline faded to give way to weariness. "But for now, sleep is the best proposition I've heard for a long time."

"Until the next crazy thing," Johan agreed, turning off the lights. "You can see in the dark, you'll be fine."

Two bodies collided in the ensuing darkness.

* * *

><p>"No permanent injuries," the infirmary doctor noted. "It's as if whatever attacked him knew his physiology enough to incapacitate, but not permanently. He'll be fine."<p>

Kilowog was laid out on a gurney, the doctor on one side and Lantern, accompanied by Flash, on the other side. The infirmary was, on a whole, the place most of the Watchtower staff avoided unless absolutely necessary, due to it being a reminder of the perils of hero work. A thankless endeavour with high mortality rate at best, the infirmary and associated rooms were a harsh reminder to heroes of their mortality. No one likes the idea of dying, and man being the creatures of denial they were often avoided hospitals on a whole unless necessary, and even then got the unpleasant visit over with quickly, hence there were relatively few people milling about.

Bleary eyes opened. "What the... where?"

"Kilowog," Lantern replied.

"Ah, John." the pink alien sighed in reply before his eyes snapped open to full awareness. "_Traurig Drachen_!" He shouted, getting up and wincing in pain. "It's here on Earth! The Destroyer of Worlds is here! John, we have to find it and bring it to Oa for trial, no matter what!"

"Whoa, calm down," Flash reasonably replied. "Well, neither of us know how this Traury Drache looks like, so we need a description–"

"The boy..." Kilowog whispered, already wondering.

"Sorry?" Flash stopped mid-word.

"There was a boy with it," Kilowog whispered. "Yes, a boy, who called a warrior powerful enough to match the power of the ring. The warrior was named Neos. The boy and the Destroyer are related somehow, I know now."

"So can you describe this boy?" John patiently asked.

"Brown hair, brown eyes that glowed, one blue, one orange," Kilowog rattled off. "Red jacket, blue jeans, red sneakers. There was a device on his left arm. Some sort of plate connected to a central piece. It glowed of many colours."

"Right..." John nodded. "That helps us precisely nothing. Many humans look like that. A name would have been more useful."

"Name... Judai Yuuki." Kilowog stated after a while of frowning. "He introduced himself before I saw the Traurig Drachen."

"We'll find him," Lantern awkwardly patted Kilowog's shoulder. "Recover first. We'll take it from here."

* * *

><p>"I understand that you value your privacy, but please calm down."<p>

Not for the first time, the Batman wondered if it were possible to manage to land a punch on a Martian without them phasing through it. Electric knuckle-dusters, maybe?

Somewhere next to him, a voice chuckled, and even though he knew it was technically in his mind, the sound was still so real.

"Let us try again," J'onn slowly said as the Martian's palm wandered ever closer to Batman's temples. "Such a mental intrusion can hardly be healthy for anyone. Please put up with the discomfort for a moment."

There was a flash of black in Batman's vision, and when he finally recovered, the green Martian was laid out, eyes wide and blank.

"J'onn?"

"I am fine," the Martian mechanically replied, still lying prostrate. "For an extra-dimensional spirit, it put up quite a fight."

"At least you believe me," Batman grumbled as he started to stand. "Kal is beginning to think that I'm losing my marbles. Sometimes I wonder if I've already lost it."

"How is your investigation into a cure going?" J'onn changed the subject, being unable to cope with a depressed Batman.

"Not well," Batman admitted to himself. "As Batman, I get precisely nothing when I bust caps and heads. As Bruce Wayne, I'm too readily identifiable. It doesn't help that I have a spirit around me that only I and those I'm investigating can see."

"Perhaps you could try to destroy its vessel?" J'onn suggested.

Batman snorted. "The card, that is, the vessel, is missing. That's why the spirit keeps hanging around me. I don't even understand anymore, if it's a supernatural thing or a figment of my imagination. Etrigan knows nothing, and Zatanna can't tell me, because she doesn't know."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before there was a knock on the door.

"Batman?" Green Lantern walked in. "The Green Lantern Corps have sent an emissary after an inter-galactic wanted criminal who has been traced to Earth. This inter-galactic criminal has been traced to Earth and seems to have connections with humans. We need help in tracing a certain human."

"Run the name and features through the database," Batman growled in reply. "I'm busy."

"This one has destroyed planets and is on Earth," Lantern tartly replied. "Please."

A beat of silence followed as Batman considered.

"Who is this criminal?" J'onn asked.

"The Green Lantern Corps call it _Traurig Drachen_." Lantern replied. "So far, it has been confirmed responsible for the destruction of thirty civilised planets and a few more may be its work, but who knows how many go unaccounted for."

"Surprising that you do not know of it," J'onn blinked in surprise. "You have seen it before, have you not?"

Shocked silence followed J'onn's declaration.

"Excuse me?" Lantern finally found his voice.

"There was a tournament. A young boy entered the Metro Tower alone, with more companions after," J'onn recalled. "What you call _Traurig Drachen_, I have named before. Amongst my people, we call it Yubel the Terrible. It is the terrible one that had injured Superman before this."

"Pink skin, eyes in blue and orange, hair colour in two tones, claws, three eyes, thorns poke out on it," Batman recalled. "Yubel... Duel Monsters."

"That crazy card game?" Green Lantern asked sharply. "The one with monsters which nearly killed people? That one?"

"Right," Batman stood up. "I'll help. Do we have a description or a name?"

* * *

><p>"Judai Yuuki," Batman conjured out a name easily, complete with picture and file before Kilowog.<p>

"That is the boy," Kilowog nodded affirmatively. "Everything, down to the red jacket and the brown hair."

"Judai Yuuki, Japanese descent, born to an ordinary middle-class family, went to an average elementary, middle and high school... high school, Central Duel Academia? Sponsored by Kaiba Corporation, intended to train... Duellists in Duel Monsters," Batman grimaced. "Throughout four years of schooling, strange accidents and incidents of monsters and dimensions have been reported, but never investigated. Started out with an Elemental Heroes Deck and later developed to other patterns which are never specified. Some of his monsters are noted... here." he tossed down a few Polaroids. "It's difficult to find any mention of these cards, but here are some of them."

Kilowog shifted through the pictures of fighting Duel Monsters, perplexed until one caught his eye. "This one was the one who defeated me!"

The heroes bent down to see the white-suited being where azure filled in its eyeholes and red and blue streaked its costume.

"Looks ridiculous," Lantern commented.

"It beat me," Kilowog growled. "Is the boy's current location on Earth found? I can sense that the Traurig Drachen has not left the planet, hence the boy must still be here somewhere."

"How do you know?" Batman enquired coolly.

Kilowog's face twisted. "The Traurig Drachen landed on my planet a long time ago. The waste it laid before it flew off on another whim was horrible. The despair and hatred of one young Bolovax unleashed upon the planet a terrible dragon that laid destruction on whim until the boy died from too much power, and then it flew off to another. The Traurig Drachen, it preys upon the despairing and dark moods of sentient beings to manifest itself, soon turning into its true form to unleash vengeance on behalf of its host. The result was the tragedy of Bolovax Vik, amongst many, with far-reaching consequences. No one who survived it could mistake the feeling of its presence as anything else."

"Traurig Drachen, the Sorrowful Dragon," Batman translated, grimacing further, if that were possible. "Judai Yuuki is a traveller, as his current location is unknown. The last time he appeared on official records was in the Sixth Battle City tournament, in Metropolis. We all saw him then. Now, his current locale would be known only to his associates, which would mean that we have to pay _them_ a visit."

"Them?" Kilowog echoed.

Batman's lips thinned. "His associates. Duellists."

The Bat's foreboding air was like a heavy stone in the hearts of the two Lanterns.

* * *

><p>"At least they're recovering," Johan sighed as he slumped into a chair. "I can't find any medicine for Duel spirits. Speaking of Duel spirits, Judai, there's no trouble yet?"<p>

"Yet," Judai confirmed. "But someone's after Yubel, so we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed."

"They can probably trace you, Judai," Johan sighed, face-palming. "Sometimes I wonder how do you survive. So who did you offend this time?"

"Hey!" Judai protested. "I don't offend people all the time!"

"Chronos," Johan sceptically ticked off. "Manjoume. Marufuji Ryou. Dark World. Need I say more?"

"Not all the time," Judai pouted at him.

"Right," Johan slowly nodded. "So, how long will you be staying? My nest egg might not be able to survive your bottomless pit of a stomach."

"Oi! I don't eat that much!"

"... sure you don't..."

"Johan~!"

* * *

><p>Domino City was not high on Batman's list of favourite places.<p>

Sure, it was clean, and peaceful, unlike Gotham, but underneath the facade there was an undercurrent of darkness so strong that the Bat could taste it. All his fighting instincts came out in full fore here, even as he walked up the tiled path towards the yellow-walled building with the lime-green roof and the pink letters overhead.

It was a bright, cheerful and altogether jarring reminder of never judging a book by its cover to him.

The bell overhead clinked as he walked into the game-shop, Green Lantern following behind carefully.

"_Irashaimasen_," the man at the counter, with blond hair and dressed in casual chic greeted. "Welcome to the Kame Game. How may I help you?"

Batman paused. "I thought Yuugi Mutou owned the shop."

"He does. He and Yami are on holiday," the blond shopkeeper waved a casual hand, the other remaining below the counter. "I'm just watching the shop. Grandpa Sugoroku taught me enough to know almost every game here, so I'm here while Yuugi's out. Though I can only play a few to save my life." He laughed. "So, what can I do for the Batman?"

"I wanted to ask him about Judai Yuuki," Batman sighed.

"I wouldn't know about that," he shrugged. "But is he a Duellist? 'Cause Kaiba puts GPS locators on almost every single one of the tournament-approved DuelDisks. Not that you can find out from him. The man's more tight-lipped than anyone else I know."

"I see," Batman nodded. "Thank you."

"You know, I thought you'd be more... violent," Green Lantern finally said as they exited the building.

"You can't see them, can you?" Batman half-smirked. "The man had a deck, and Katsuya Jounochi, one of the top Duellists in the world, can probably play too. Will you show him?" The last was pronounced loudly and definitely not aimed at the Lantern.

Lantern jumped as a long scratch, like a claw, ran through the concrete tiling and stopped just shy of Green Lantern's foot.

"I don't fight dragons if I can't win," Batman replied as he walked off. "KaibaCorp next."

* * *

><p>"They should put up a sign, 'here there be dragons'," Lantern heard the Bat mutter as they sneaked in.<p>

"Do I want to know why?" Lantern asked with some trepidation.

"The chairman, Seto Kaiba, plays as well," Batman replied after a while. "From what I managed to glean from temporarily listening to their communications back at the Showdown of Hero City, he is one of the main forces behind some secret anti-terrorism incidents across the globe in the last three years. I can't find concrete proof, though, and Kaiba's finances are clean enough. There are dragons here too, and I think even Kal El would have some issue with them."

"And if we walked right in?" Green Lantern suggested.

"Best case scenario, security escorts us out," Batman tersely replied. "Worst case scenario, eaten by dragons. And I don't want to see how the power ring stands up against a dragon."

"The best case scenario we can deal with," Green Lantern thought out loud.

"The best case scenario means dealing with people like Kaiba," Batman growled as they arrived at the top floor. "Any moment..."

Chains snapped out of thin air and tied both of them up, Lantern struggling as green light flared in his eyes to be extinguished.

"Shadow Spell," a female voice echoed as its owner walked down the hallway towards the two. "Continuous Trap card. The monster targeted by it cannot attack or change its battle position, and its attack points decreases by seven hundred points. State your name so that I know what to write on your headstone when you are dead."

"Diana Hunter," Batman vaguely recognised the woman. "White really doesn't suit you."

Diana, in a white halter top, shrugged. "Chosen of Zera, three destinies open up before you."

There was a moment's pause. "Which destiny I walk will be my choice and mine alone."

Diana slowly nodded. "And your associate? I must make sure that he does not attack if I release you."

"He won't," Batman assured. "He doesn't hit girls."

"Hey!"

There was a moment's silence before the chains receded and the heroes were freed.

"_Kaichou_ is busy at the moment," Diana said as the pair stood up. "Please wait, unless it is a question that can be addressed by I."

"The location of one Judai Yuuki," Batman gave.

"Judai... Fusion, Herald," Diana consulted her Blackberry, unwrapping a lollipop with the other hand and sticking it into her mouth. "He was travelling in India until approximately two hundred thirty hours India time. Currently, the location is subject to change, although close proximity to Jewel Beast is indicated. The two of them have always been too close for words."

"And where is Jewel Beast?" Batman patiently asked. "Rather, _who_ is Jewel Beast?"

"Scary, scary," Diana murmured, eyes still on her Blackberry as she sucked the sweet. "Johan and Edo are always Judai's top places to hide when things go pear-shaped first. Johan has a nice place north, I think. Norway is nice at this time of the summer, isn't it? Andersen Kun just loves his little cabin hidden away on the islands. Him and his family all alone, away from the rest who would scorn them."

Hearing her words, Green Lantern could not help but shiver in foreboding.

"Thank you," Batman said after a moment's pause. "I think that's all we need. Unless you're charitable enough to tell us what to look out for?"

"I do not possess futuresight," Diana crisply replied. "Though you do well to be wary. We would hate to lose a potential like yourself."

"The game is a bit too arbitrary for me," Batman shook his head. "Besides, I'm completely different from you people."

"Perhaps not always," Diana softly replied as both heroes turned to leave. "Turn right instead of left when you leave. _Kaichou_ is taking Kisara out, and you can always change your mind. We have time."

Batman froze momentarily, before marginally relaxing. "Got it."

The two heroes descended in silence, Green Lantern feeling more and more confused as they approached ground floor.

"Kisara?" Lantern finally deigned to ask when sea level was reached.

The roar of what could only be a dragon answered both of them.

"That," Batman stated. By all rights, his teammates' shock should not be so satisfying, but no one ever said that Batman was much of a team player. "Somewhere in Norway should be easy to find if we run a property search."

"And you trust them that easily?" Lantern asked. "They could just as easily mislead us."

"In a way, they did," Batman admitted. "They neglected to mention that Johan Andersen is heavily guarded and it's a literal deathtrap waiting. But that's all we can go on, and it's a valid clue. Furthermore, if we went by normal sources, it would take time we don't have."

_I salute you on spotting that, _the voice chuckled. _Light can mislead with its illusions weaved, as can darkness with its seductive shadow. Good of you, my chosen._

"So, next stop, Norway?" Lantern asked.

* * *

><p>The two heroes next materialised outside a wooden cabin, on a rocky island somewhere by the Norwegian coast. Waves crashed by the rocky, salt-ridden outcrop as a cool breeze blew.<p>

"It looks empty," Lantern conversationally started. "No one home."

The cabin door opened as two boys ran out. "Judai, give that back!" the second boy, blue hair waving in the breeze, yelled at the first boy in a red jacket and carrying what looked like a cold ham.

"Nya nya, catch me first, Johan!" the first boy, brown hair bobbing, shook his head as he ran away towards the heroes. The boy, Judai, stopped upon seeing them, brown eyes widening.

"Judai?" Johan caught up and snatched away the ham in his hand. "What's up?"

"Judai Yuuki," Lantern authoritatively began. "Your assistance would be greatly valued by the Justice League in investigating a matter of some sensitive nature."

Blink. Blink. Silence...

"It means you come with us," Green Lantern amended. "It's about you being seen in India last night with a maximum-security wanted intergalactic criminal."

The boy slowly nodded. "I don't see how I can have anything to do with this, but it's fine, I guess."

"Wait, Judai," Johan piped up. "What if these people aren't what they seem? Anyone can don spandex and weapons and put on a light show. Honestly, what did your parents teach you?"

"Johan, don't be such a mother hen," Judai yawned. "Besides, I can tell. You can't really call heroes strangers, right?"

"Judai..." Johan groaned. "If you say so, I can't really stop you, but..."

"Shall we?" Batman asked.

"After lunch," Judai amended. "I have a lot to catch up with Johan."

"We don't have time!" Lantern protested. "The planet can be destroyed by Traurig Drachen any moment. Now."

"If this is about Yubel, the situation is under control," Judai sighed. "After lunch."

"Where is Yubel, then? What's your connection to the Destroyer of Planets?" Lantern shot at him, beginning to glow green. In response, Judai's own eyes lightened to gold as the device Batman recognised as a DuelDisk unfolded almost on command.

"If you want a fight I'll oblige you," Judai hissed, no longer warm and welcoming. The Dark Knight internally shivered as the skies seemed to darken and shadows seemed to waver and take on forms, reaching out to the Green Lantern, tendrils of shadows cold yet inviting.

The Mexican stand-off was interrupted as the cold ham landed in Judai's face. "Lunch is ready," Johan sighed, still holding onto the ham. "Do you want any?"

Batman was about to refuse when he spotted the pink panther, the white tiger, the sapphire unicorn with sharp horn, the woolly mammoth, a tortoise with a huge raw emerald for a shell, a blue cat, and an eagle with cobalt along its wings, all glaring at him ready to pounce. Over the boy hovered a white dragon, baring its teeth at him.

Self-preservation reigned. "Yes, please."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Please review!<strong>_


	3. Dark Calling

_**Cool...**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two: Dark Calling<strong>

There were several popular theories on Batman's wide network of acquaintances running through the Justice League.

Some heroes speculated that Batman helped all the people of dubious background for such an express purpose as to keep tabs on whatever could be used to safeguard the city of Gotham and its ungrateful citizens.

Others decided that the Bat befriended all the people regarded as batshit crazy.

Looking that two heroes were currently sitting down to an afternoon meal of bread, cold meat and a wide assortments of things no one outside the culinary business could hope to name, Green Lantern was subscribing to the latter for now. It was like Alice in Wonderland, except in this case, the Mad Hatter was stuffing his face and the March Hare was more inclined to push dishes to the Mad Hatter who was eating like a bottomless pit.

_Where did he put it all?_ Green Lantern thought as Judai downed what must be an entire platter of eggs, turning slightly green at looking at the increasing pile of plates. _Even Flash couldn't eat that much in one sitting_.

Batman, on the other hand, took to looking around the rather homey cabin, which was hardly tropical but decidedly European enough. The translucently invisible spirits looked at him, occasionally exchanging whispers with each other and generally making Batman feel like an museum exhibit. _Batman, Dark Knight of Gotham._

The Bat glared at them all, and they glared back.

"Potential," the white tiger sniffed, licking its paw. "Strong will. Why do you not join us, dark knight?"

"I don't like magic," Batman whispered in reply. "I especially don't trust extra-dimensional beings to fight my battles for me."

"Surprisingly twisted," the cobalt eagle laughed. "Have you learned the rules of the game? If not, how can you tell?"

Batman blinked.

The sentient beasts exchanged looks before laughing. "You are familiar with Etrigan. He will know of us if you ask about the Rainbow Dragon. Why do you not?"

"Etrigan... I'll take that under advisement," Batman cautiously replied.

"Now it remains to be seen," the white tiger laughed. "Ne, Johan?"

"Topaz, don't tease," the blue-haired Scandinavian answered the white tiger. The only one perplexed was Lantern, Judai grinning widely in between gulps.

"Nice ones you have," Batman commented.

"They chose me," Johan sighed happily. "Of course, hardly anyone else can see them, but that's fine, I think. I still keep my old deck though."

Batman kept quiet as the blue cat with a round ruby hanging on its tail jumped onto Johan's shoulder and purred, as the other beasts went to Johan and laid around him in a show of safari domesticity. From the window beside the large chair, the dragon seemed to _purr._ It was a bizarre yet comfortable scene that the Bat could never have envisioned.

He was not jealous. Definitely not.

_It is yours if you would take it up, _the voice sighed wistfully.

That was true, Batman acknowledged. _But if I took it up, can I cast it away again?_

* * *

><p>"J'onn," Batman tersely spoke into the communicator as Judai Yuuki stood, patiently waiting with Green Lantern, backpack slung over his shoulder. "Batman here."<p>

"Watchtower to Batman," J'onn J'onzz replied. "We'll bring you up to the Watchtower."

"Don't," Batman replied. "Get me to Jason Blood. I have a few questions for him."

"Indeed? Coincidentally, Etrigan is aboard the Watchtower," J'onn replied.

"Is he? I see. Then bring us up, please."

"Will do."

"_Meow_." the sudden sound gave the Dark Knight pause as the three heroes faded from the surface of the Earth.

"You brought a _cat_ travelling?" was his first reaction when the three were safely materialised on the teleporter platform aboard the Watchtower, which took up decoration of the _whoosh_ Star Trek variety. Definitely your average really large space station.

"Pharaoh tagged along with Daitokuji Sensei!" the boy protested. "I couldn't leave him alone, he'll starve!"

The two heroes looked down at the fat brown-furred cat, purring at them, and wondered how to equate this particular specimen of cat with the word 'starve'. The feat proved beyond them.

Batman, always a believer in picking your battles, decided to change the subject. "Who is this Daitokuji Sensei?" he asked, familiar with the Japanese address of 'teacher'.

"He's my teacher, who haunts Pharaoh, the cat," Judai answered.

"Very well." A haunted cat hardly fazed the Batman, who had seen worse before.

"So, _this_ is the Justice League Watchtower," Judai Yuuki looked around, awed and ignorant of the looks several passing heroes were giving him. Although not officially, it was an open secret that Batman was a member of the League and no one wanted to miss the sight of a young teenager beside the urban legend. "It's... definitely living up to its name."

"It's like dealing with Flash," Lantern said quietly as the two heroes proceeded down the corridor with their cargo. "Are you sure _this_ is the one?"

"You saw the glowing eyes and the darkness," Batman reminded him. "I'm positive. I checked several times. This kid crashed the Metro Tower before on his own, I'm sure of it."

"Can there be more than one?"

Lantern's question went unanswered as they entered the main hall of the Watchtower, where heroes congregated on their work. Half the hall stopped to watch them. Batman noted that some of them looked nervous. He didn't blame them; the Watchtower was technically a sanctuary from the public, and he had brought a civilian into it.

"Greetings, Herald," a masculine voice spoke as Doctor Fate in blue and gold costume walked forward to bow before the boy a head shorter than him. "What need do you approach the Justice League for?"

"You people approached me in the first place, how would I know?" Judai answered, honestly perplexed. "Oh, and... about last time, no hard feelings?"

"...no," the Doctor shook his head. "We were on opposing sides then. Now we are on the same side, if tentatively."

"Great!" Judai grinned.

Meanwhile, Batman walked up to J'onn on the communications console. "I brought him."

For an alien, J'onn remained carefully neutral. "I can tell. Kilowog is conscious and well on the road to recovery already."

"Hmph," Batman replied as the trio of heroes now turned down a corridor, a fascinated Judai following them.

"_Such an amazing place, nya," _a Japanese voice sounded.

Batman froze momentarily. "That was–?"

"_Daitokuji Sensei desu~" _a Japanese man with long black hair loosely tied up, with a long face and fingers, dressed in a white shirt with a red tie and black trousers with matching shoes behind Judai replied. The fact that the being was translucent rather helped. _"Nice to meet you."_

So this was the elusive Daitokuji... Batman nodded to him before walking onwards.

Denial is a powerful force. Case in point.

* * *

><p>There are no words to describe how awkward the meeting between Kilowog and Judai was. Suffice it to say that the alien and the human had some awkward silence between them initially until the alien beamed.<p>

"Great job your guardian did on me!" the alien laughed.

After that, things pretty much thawed out as alien and human exchanged greetings and news.

John shook his head at seeing them interact. "It's... a lot like Wally."

"For once, I would agree," the Batman replied blandly, looking at the excited brown-haired boy with a strange expression on his face.

_Yubel_, the presence murmured, almost sounding surprised.

There was nothing, and then there was a slightly distinct presence, and Batman saw it, the wings, the purplish skin, that heterochromatic pair of eyes that looked at him in amusement. Blue-tinted lips moved.

Dark Knight, they spoke without a sound as clawed hands reached towards an oblivious John–

A Batarang was in his hand, the edges keen as he lifted it. "Show yourself."

John started, from his position standing beside the gurney. "Batman–?"

J'onn cocked his head, and the Bat felt that poke at his immediate thoughts just as he saw Judai look at the Monster.

"Ah," the boy sighed.

Colour bled into the translucent form, true colour and weight and space displacement as the Fiend Yubel seemed to appear from mid-air before oblivious heroes. At the same time, a figure in green armour and blue cloak and dark skin, bearing a long reddish sword, appeared behind the Batman, sword out and ready.

John paled, backing away from the clawed hand which had, to all appearances, suddenly appeared before his face. Kilowog, on the other hand, simply turned a lighter shade of pink from the gurney. The Martian Manhunter, to match, had seemingly turned a lighter shade of green.

"Right," the only one unaffected by the appearance of two semi-mythological beings sighed. "I'm not one for the subtle bits, so let's get to business, shall we? For some reason, you," he gestured to Kilowog, "Or at least, your people, have been trying to catch Yubel for the past few years or so. Then, now, Yubel is supposed to go with you to some court to be tried and all, right?"

"Er, yes," Kilowog nodded. "Although the verdict is a foregone conclusion."

"We'll get to that later," Judai waved off. "The thing is, Yubel is bonded to my soul. That is, she's going where I go. And I can't just hop off into deep space, I mean, I'm human!"

"The word of the Guardians shall well supersede any obligations to this planet you have," Kilowog observed.

"It's not just duties as herald of the Darkness," the brown-haired youth argued. "It's more of a _I go where I'm needed_ thing. I mean, right now it's a slow break, but any time now the Darkness could take me and drop me off to who knows where. I can't guarantee that I'll stay until the whole thing is done."

"There is nothing to be done," Kilowog admitted. "I am tasked to bring the Traurig Drachen to Oa, and if it means that you must go as well, then so be it." The ring upon Kilowog's hand glowed as green light shot out to wrap around Judai–

–and yellow clashed hard, shattering the green to so much as a tendril of yellow reached over and smacked the Green Lantern in the kisser.

"Oops," Judai guiltily said as Kilowog rubbed his face. "Sorry."

"It appears that the two powers cancel each other out," J'onn observed.

"Oh yes," the dark-skinned Monster observed. "The Darkness protects its herald, one of its lords and masters. Of course, when such a diametrically opposing force like the light of the Lantern appears, the Dark of Right shall eliminate it."

Two of the founding members of the Justice League looked at the warrior, and then at each other.

"In that case, am I right to state that the only way to bring the Herald to Oa is through normal transport?" J'onn murmured.

"The Javelin," Batman clarified at the monster's expression of incomprehension.

The expression cleared quickly. "As the Herald have stated, that is no guarantee. Am I right, Herald?"

"Besides, if we are intending to leave the planet, I need to tell my friends first," Judai mused. "And then I need to drop Pharaoh off..."

Batman was about to snarl, to forget about the cat.

"...and Daitokuji Sensei," Judai finished without missing a beat.

Well, there was no way he was allowing a ghost to remain on the Watchtower...

"J'onn, please prepare the Javelin, and assemble a team," Batman decided. "We have a cat to drop off."

* * *

><p>The teleporter took the to Domino City quickly, and before long the Batman found himself with Judai in front of the KaibaCorp building with Pharaoh the cat in tow, the two spirits thankfully incorporeal.<p>

Pharaoh the cat yowled, jumping from Judai's arms to the ground and leaping forward to enthusiastically rub its body against a denim-clad leg.

"Nice cat," Diana Hunter stated flatly. Her DuelDisk was unfolded and active, her cerulean eyes scanning the area warily. "Dark Knight, you return once more to Sanctuary."

"Anyway," Judai coughed. "Er, I need you to tell Guardian that I'm going off-planet for a while, and I have no idea when I'll be back. If ever."

Her eyes had narrowed to slits. "Shall I assemble the full salvo?"

Batman did not like that look...

"No! I mean, that I might just get ridiculously lost in the galaxy or something," Judai quickly replied. "Jeez, you react fast, Di. Anyway, why the DuelDisk?"

Diana was spared the reply when the glass front of the building shattered.

The Dark Knight leapt into action, Batarang already flying towards the source of the commotion. Jewels shimmered into existence amidst the rain of glass, some glowing a soft green as Diana Hunter drew a five-card hand. The black projectiles impacted upon a patch of white furry skin, and what looked like an albino gorilla with too large a head appeared in the midst of the smoke wafting from the ruins, casually punching the Batman to send the vigilante flying.

"Arcane Barrier," Diana murmured under her breath as she played another card.

The Ultra Humanite gave her a look as he sauntered forward intently. "I came expecting the best security money can buy, and I get a game of Duel Monsters? Is this really the best Seto Kaiba can pay for?"

"Good afternoon, Mr Humanite," Diana replied, albeit politely, coldly. "My name is Diana Hunter, the chair of administration to Kaiba Corporation. As our reception counter is currently in shambles following your entrance, which was certainly not its state upon receipt of your... appointment, I shall take the liberty of escorting you out." Her eyes narrowed. "Personally."

"Is that really?" the gorilla laughed, before it charged forth.

"Yes," Diana answered. "Crusader!"

A fist, jewels of orange glowing about it, met with the gorilla's midriff and hauled, the blue-armoured newcomer following up the flying gorilla with another, crack-inducing punch.

At the same time, the Bat stood back up, shards of crystals falling about him, the glow fading away softly from the shards as the Batman aimed and threw. Ropes of strong material appeared as the pellets split and wrapped about the Ultra Humanite, putting it back down as the great pseudo-beast stumbled and collapsed.

It would have struggled, but Judai leaned over it, looking it in the eye. What the meta-human saw then would be a secret lost to the ages, but the sheer expression of fear when Judai stood back straight up was visible even from Batman's position away from either of them.

Defender the Magical Knight appeared before him, shielding the Bat just as a blast of pink light impacted on the shield and shattered the centre red jewel. A red-armoured being bearing sword and shield of similar design if not colour scheme to Defender leapt forth, cutting down the masked villainess Star Sapphire from her position in the sky.

"_Kaichou_ has mentioned," Diana said as she hid behind Defender's shield by the Bat, "That if the League cannot imprison their responsibilities he shall find a permanent solution for the problem should they come to our city."

"Really?" Batman asked despite himself. "How?"

"Endymion!" She raised a hand to signal quickly, as a blast of purple light finished off Metallo. Diana Hunter moved quickly, a pair of dark leg shackles and a mask hanging in her hands. She slapped the mask onto Metallo quickly, before attaching the shackles to the Ultra Humanite. A motion of the hand, and the sapphire that was Star Sapphire's weapon was dug out by the red-armoured Spellcaster and flung to her, captured in a red box not unlike a jeweller's. "Judai."

"Uh huh," he nodded, the Elemental Hero Neos appearing momentarily to knock out a Killer Frost aiming for him. "That's all."

Diana frowned, her eyes contemplative. "Er... now, how do we cover this up...?"

The roar of a dragon quickly spurred the Batman that leaving the villains here was not a good idea if Stryker's Island wanted their meta-prisoners any time soon. "Batman to Watchtower." the vigilante spoke quickly into the communication piece. "Heist attempt on KaibaCorp building, Domino City averted, please call in for clean-up."

The Dark Knight of Gotham looked up soon enough to find himself face-to-face with a dragon. Beside him, Judai squeaked.

"Quickly." the Dark Knight stoically added, calm even in the face of the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

Far above, a man in a billowing white trench-coat smirked in approval.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Please review!<strong>_


	4. Zero Force

_**In which Johan is attacked, there are Duel Monsters, and Batman flings projectiles that explode. There is also an old enemy, but let's not go into that.**_

_**Enjoy.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three: Zero Force<strong>

Diana Hunter snarled as she plucked off the ringing phone from her belt, flipping the device open with the ease of long practice. "Endymion," she stated, somewhat impatiently.

Silence for moments as her expression went from frowning to stone cold. "Very well."

The phone was flipped shut at the same time Diana began talking. "Judai, Jewel Beast is under siege as well. Go."

"What?" the brown-haired boy yelped. "I have to get there!"

"Batman, requesting–" the Dark Knight was abruptly cut off as Judai grabbed onto his hand with one hand and thin air in the other, and jumped forth–

–and there was no motion, no other indication that the sun and the sand and the monsters to show that they had moved across two continents to Norway and were now in a monster battlefield.

Mentally noting down teleportation as a power within the youth's repertoire, the Batman drew out a Batarang, flinging it at the people in special-forces black aiming seemingly high-tech weapons at the cabin.

A pink blur leapt forth with a bound and landed on one of the shooters, quickly jumping back when more bullets peppered the ground to land by the Bat. The pink panther bared her teeth at them, letting out an animalistic roar. The Batarang then exploded, taking out a few of the soldiers.

"They're monsters," the panther growled, just as a white-and-black blur bounded forth and took down another. "Science Soldiers, to be exact. Dark Knight, Johan is within the house, fighting to close the portal. Someone from the different worlds have tried to tear an entrance into our reality."

On the bright side of things, having a conversation with a sentient panther was better than many things. "Can I do anything?"

"Those exploding projectiles are fine," the blur Batman identified as the white tiger growled. The two beasts were solid as well, to his view at least. "We must act fast; Johan does not have the power to maintain our solid forms indefinitely."

Another explosion, another aim, and Batman found himself being fired upon, though defended by both beasts.

"Amethyst, defend the dark knight," the tiger growled before it leapt forward to decimate the shooters.

"Amethyst?" Batman murmured, looking at the panther which, he noticed, had a bright violet jewel on its chest.

"Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat," the panther growled in a distinctly female voice. "Over there is Topaz Tiger, and coming up is..."

Gusts of wind blew as the large white dragon, resplendent in opalescent light, descended from the skies. Light crackled from its maw and poured down, eradicating the shooters to nothing left.

At the same time, a sonic boom echoed across the island from the cabin, and two boys, one with blue hair and one Judai, flew out from either windows to land on their backs in the sand, the DuelDisks on their arms still glowing.

"That was fun," Judai commented, still on his back.

"That was odd," the now identified Johan Andersen remarked, also lying down. "And at least there's nothing valuable in there right now."

They both rolled to either side as an axe flew, embedding into the sand that would have been between both of them. What looked to the Batman as a robotic horror only the Joker's nightmares could create, wildly swinging axes, flew towards them.

Thorned vines shot from the ground to completely trap the machine as all eight of the Crystal Beasts surrounded the pair, and Yubel gave the thing a sultry-looking smirk as she clicked her fingers.

The robot completely disassembled as the vines tore it apart into little bits and pieces.

Looking at the carnage, Batman could only shudder.

* * *

><p>"You can't teleport us up?" the Bat asked later once the both of them had cleaned up the mess of all forensic evidence. The ease at which the youths conducted the cleaning was plainly frightening.<p>

Judai considered. "Alone, I could probably be precise, but with this many parties, I could be about a kilometre off course."

Batman nodded. "Batman to Watchtower."

"Watchtower reporting," J'onn stated clearly through the comm-piece. "Clean-up has been processed at KaibaCorp. It would have been sooner if not for the tendencies of dragons to appear around the building. Currently, we are attempting to get the restraints placed by Ms Hunter off the recovered villains onboard."

"Three for the Watchtower," Batman stated.

The trio appeared on the teleporter as they were, i.e. slightly dishevelled and, in Batman's case, limping, earning the stares of many heroes. Especially when the Bat moved quickly, both Duellists following him to the holding facility aboard the Watchtower.

There was something inordinately _fascinating_ about how the nails in the mask drove themselves into the cyborg Metallo in the face, slowly like corkscrews into a wine bottle. It was Metallo's case that proved more amazing, for it had been proven that the cyborg was supposedly incapable of feeling. There was also something extremely _riveting_ about how constrictively tight the shackles became with every minute that unimaginable pain was inflicted onto the albino gorilla.

That is, if one was a sadist.

Both youths winced at the screams, quickly producing their cards. Some effort later, the mask and shackles were off.

"So that's how," Batman remarked as both villains fell unconscious from the pain. Something told him that after this, villains would stay far away from Domino.

"Mask of the Accursed," Johan squinted at the dissipating mask. "And Darkworld Shackles. Both inflict damage and prevent the opponent from attacking. Useful for incapacitation and torture, I suppose. Equip Spell cards, both are messy. At least Ekibyo Drakmord wasn't used, or we might have dead people on our hands. What's with the restraints?"

"I think Diana San was going to feed them to the Blue Eyes," Judai wisely nodded as he let go of the dissolving shackles. "That or send them... where the rest went."

Both shuddered in unison.

"In that case, you can answer the questions left from the Battle City in Metropolis," Batman said, stepping forth from the shadows.

Neither were impressed. Perhaps they'd mastered the trick themselves. Perhaps they'd grown desensitised. Whichever it was, it was none of the Bat's business.

"Hibiki Matsumoto," Batman flatly reiterated. "Hadrian Erik. Iemitsu Nakamura. Peter Doyle."

"Oh," Judai slowly nodded. "Erm..."

"You don't know," Batman stated, tone flat.

"It's more a question of..." Johan shrugged helplessly. "Neither of us have the card needed."

This conversation was rapidly turning towards the Twilight Zone. "Card." Batman looked as if there was a lemon in his mouth.

Judai took a deep breath. "They... are in the Shadow Realm."

Images of complete darkness, of the face of a clock, of ticking sounds and booming bells and the roars of the overseer of a dark prison flashed through his mind. _Clock Tower Prison_, the presence mused. _The presence of Warden Dreadmaster would be enough._

"You have one too?" Johan now looked unabashedly amazed by the Bat. "I mean, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Batman–"

The Caped Crusader held up a hand to stop the conversation flow. "Enough. Clock Tower Prison. Who holds the card?"

The two exchanged helpless looks at each other before shrugging.

The Bat-glare would have been amped up if not for the appearance of John. "What are you doing? And who's the other civilian?" the Green Lantern immediately asked.

"My name is Johan Andersen. It's a pleasure to meet you," Johan greeted the Lantern, offering his hand.

John shook it briefly, before glaring at Batman. "We don't need another civilian here, Batman."

"He was attacked by monsters," Batman replied bluntly. "It seemed the best recourse."

"The thing is, why?" Judai briefly considered, ignoring the other hero's stupefied expression. "That portal... was not from the Shadow Realm, and that's the only relation Johan has to anything out of the ordinary, really."

"Maybe if you tell us what is it, their motives would become more apparent." Batman patiently stated. "What were those shooters anyway?"

"Science Soldiers," Johan promptly answered, biting his lower lip. "You don't see many around any more, unless someone uses them in a normal deck. But... can we move elsewhere for this first? It's kinda uncomfortable to be standing in a public hallway."

Batman was about to indicate that the hallway was hardly public, and then recalled two young, just-barely matured heroes in the Watchtower before Brainiac invaded one of their minds, then he conceded the point. "Though, tell your... monsters... to not... attract..." There was no feasible way to tell them to rein in things that could not be seen or heard or interact with the rest of the oblivious world.

He gave up.

* * *

><p>There was a certain awkwardness of the presence of young adults aboard the Watchtower. This, despite that the first Robin was already striking out with the Teen Titans, and was hardly seen aboard the space station, and that two boys around the first Robin's age were already facing other League members with rather more aplomb than was usually seen. Both brown-haired and blue-haired Duellists were calm even between Aquaman and Doctor Fate, which was even odder.<p>

"I think we've been through this," Judai nervously repeated to a grimacing Atlantean king. "But, there is no way you can get that part of the kingdom back. They won't fit, that's one thing. And do you really want to subject this planet to overcrowding?"

The undersea king backed down and left just as J'onn began the briefing.

"The current mission parameters, are to escort the Traurig Drachen and its associated Judai Yuuki to Oa to face trial, requested by the Green Lantern Kilowog of Bolovax Vik," J'onn read out, deadpan. "John will, of course, be present, as shall Flash. Batman, I shall have a private word with you concerning the final team placement, but is Superman available? The associated evidence provided by Kilowog has made this mission increasingly of paramount importance and urgency."

Johan glared at Judai. "What are you up to now?"

"Galactic police," Judai shrugged. "They want to bring in Yubel for trial, apparently for murdering a few civilisations. I'm going along with this at the moment."

"Without telling us?" Johan's expression was now one of incredulity.

"I left a message with Endymion!" Judai grew increasingly panicked.

"Judai, when I said to tell _us,_ I didn't mean leave a message with Endymion until we contact her! You're going into _deep space_!"

"It'll be fine," Judai assured. "Worst case scenario is, Darkness calls and I get whisked off to who knows."

"You," Johan slapped both hands into his face, "are incorrigible."

"Thank you."

"I didn't mean– Argh, enough," the Scandinavian sighed. "So, remind me why am I in a space station orbiting Earth after an attack from things I have no idea existed there?"

"I am sorry," J'onn interrupted, scanning Johan with an implacable expression. "But Batman mentioned that you had faced attack from unknown entities."

"There was a boom sound when I was making a drink, and then this white circle of light appeared in thin air," Johan nodded. "More circles came out, and then things in gold and green armour flew in and jumped us. Sapphire and the rest of us were mobilising when the gunshots rang, then Topaz and Amethyst ran out to handle that while the rest of us tried to close the gateway. And then Judai came in and banished the rest of the things and the portal."

"I am sorry? Things?" J'onn considered. "Would these things, perhaps, be capable of some degree of flight and generally attack using claws and teeth?"

"Yeah..." Johan considered.

"Would you mind, if I were to peer into your mind to accurately picture these things?" J'onn frowned.

A moment later, the Martian's eyes grew wide before they contracted. "I am not aware that every human was capable of broadcasting their thoughts to such extremes. My apologies for your suffering and for missing of your evening meal. Perhaps the Tower canteen can fix something for the both of you. "

"Food! Let's go, Johan!" Judai laughed, dragging the protesting Scandinavian along.

"What is it?" Batman asked the moment both were out of earshot. In his mind, he ignored the laughing presence.

"It was a boom-tube," J'onn shortly answered. "Mr Andersen was attacked by a horde of Parademons, straight from Apokolips, as far as I can tell."

"I thought Apokolips was under civil war," Batman muttered.

"The companions Mr Andersen was speaking of consisted of what seems to be a winged unicorn, a woolly mammoth, a blue cat and a tortoise with a emerald-encrusted shell," J'onn considered. "Unless he is delusional, I would say that... Mr Andersen... is allied with otherworldly beings."

"And upon what evidence is this conclusion based–?"

"That the unicorn conversed with him."

"Even if he is allied with them, why would Apokolips attack an otherwise ordinary human?" Batman asked. "That is the main question. In fact, to attack him at this time, when his friend is about to embark on a journey to Oa, the centre of the universe... there is a link between that, I know."

"Perhaps the key question is," J'onn added. "Does the herald know?"

Stuffing his mouth with bread, Judai's eyes briefly glowed the gold so very opposite of his true power.

* * *

><p>"I am coming with you."<p>

"Johan–"

"You are entrusting your life to a legal battle. Unless you want Edo to follow you, and I say he _will_ follow if I asked, I might as well come along."

"Johan, you have no training in law. And there's no way Edo can follow me."

"Neither do you, and frankly, you need help, so I shall follow. Besides, the man once tracked you to another dimension, deep space is frankly, less of an issue. Do you really want to pit your powers against the brain of a teen Ph.D. holder?"

"But, Johan, you can't survive deep space."

"Neither can you, and somehow you are still going."

"There won't be room."

"It is either I travel this way, or I devise a way, one way or another. I am prepared to trek through Dark World if needed."

"Stop arguing," Batman growled, stepping out of the shadows. "Judai Yuuki is going on this because he has no choice. Another civilian tagging along is a liability."

"But–" Johan made an impatient sound.

_As you said, the two incidences are too related for this to be coincidental, _the presence he had not named observed. _You yourself will follow despite your own limitations, why ever not he?_

There was an impatient attempt to tell the voice to sod off.

A laugh. _The Jewel Beasts' warrior might well follow on that threat. Besides, you mentioned that the two are connected, did you not? It would be logical to prove that._

_What would they want with Johan Andersen? _The Bat considered. _There is no other value..._

_Rainbow Dragon is one of the few entities on this plane capable of establishing a permanent doorway between realms. _The voice mused. _And of course, the warrior is the only one capable of calling upon the Rainbow Dragon to do so. Another possible option is as leverage over the Herald of the Darkness. It is the latter that I believe more plausible, as the doorways Rainbow Dragon creates cannot be accessed so easily. _

"I also can't risk another attack on me," Johan sensibly pointed out, already switching tactics. "After all, they might hurt other people."

Judai scowled, already knowing that he was trapped. "I'll have to tell the Lantern."

* * *

><p>The Man of Steel himself was waiting when Batman finally appeared at the debriefing.<p>

"Do I want to know how I've suddenly ended up on an off-planet mission to Oa?" It was a testament of his control that Superman did not yell. "And apparently to escort a teenager there for trial?"

"Judai Yuuki is fully of age," Batman replied. "The focus is more of that we are transporting a deadly and dangerous entity to Oa with him than on the package itself."

"Never mind that," Superman motioned to make his point felt. "If it were so dangerous it'll have already tried to destroy the world. No, what's so important about this, that Batman himself must leave Gotham for it?"

Silence reigned for a moment.

Superman glared at Batman. "Tell me. Did you even visit his parents to tell them?"

"They don't remember him," Batman bitterly shot back. "I asked them, but their answers were vague, almost like... it was a distant memory to them, their son. Like the never recalled him. Judai Yuuki did something, I can tell. And the attacks... he distances himself from family and friends because of the dangers. He travels alone except with a cat and the spirit of a departed teacher and a monster attached to his soul. I think... that on this trip, I might find answers... to my own problem."

"Isn't it all in your head?" Superman asked sympathetically.

"J'onn theorised that if I can send it back to its home it might stay there. I don't know. But... I think, on this trip I might find answers."

Superman frowned, a furrow in his brow. "I don't like it, but... at least, I'm following along."

"You're just there in case anything goes wrong," Batman shot back, though a ghost of a smile must have played around his lips.

"It's a routine escort to the headquarters of the intergalactic policing organisation," Superman shot back. "If anything, my presence must be overkill."

* * *

><p>Shrouded in darkness, a soft musical sigh echoed. Birds cawed, before something shifted, and the cawing died mid-shriek. The being in the centre of it all shifted, the better to hide from it, from her.<p>

A soft, sibilant voice murmured, "Come here, little one, come."

"Do you know who I am?" he snarled in an attempt to intimidate.

"Ssshould I?" the being laughed, as muscles, strong and covered in smooth scales, wrapped around him. "Death isss the great leveller of all, and desspite your warriorsss having been contacted by a moment of folly, I promisse you that your next chance will not come as quick. Now, come, before I get impatient."

"I will fight you."

"And you fail, as you will, and you know, and your feeble ssstrugglessss are for naught," she scoffed as she, the tendrils of muscle pulling him back, moved on, back to the dark and slimy prison. "Assss you well know."

"Tell me at least my warden's name," he snarled. "I am Darkseid, the god of Apokolips."

"A pleassssure to meet a fellow deity," she laughed, the sound cold and unyielding and poisonous. "I am many things, Lord Darkseid, but here... I am ssssupreme. I have many names..." the snake-like appendage tightened around his midriff, "Burn the title of the Poisonous Ssssnake Goddessss into your consciousness... for that issss sssshe who imprisonssss you."

Fangs tore into his shoulder, drawing blood, thick and smooth and black-tainted with venom. "See now, even immortals cannot escape the silent Doma so easily. I once promised that I shall tear you bit by bit in eternity, and I have," she laughed.

There was only the sound of despair as shadows shrouded any further sight.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Please review!<strong>_


	5. Neo Space

_**There are Parademons out. They attack the Javelin as it flies throughout space, and to escape, we have gratuitous use of magic to bring our heroes into another dimension.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four: Neo Space<strong>

"We're going... in... _that?_" Judai beamed. "Awesome!"

To the average civilian, the Javelin would indeed be an awe-inspiring sight, but Batman found it slightly jarring to associate awe with this supposedly dangerous person. It was a difficult feat, to put it mildly, rather like a tiger exhibiting domestic behaviour.

"It might turn out to be sending you to your funeral," Kilowog joked. "Enjoy it while you can."

There was an awkward silence before the Duellist caught on. "Right..." He was distinctly less excited after that.

The final team, in addition to Kilowog, consisted of John, Flash, the Batman, and Superman, the last of which Johan actually gave a bug-eyed stare to. The star-struck look, thankfully, managed to wear off once both of them were strapped into the Javelin seats.

"Buckle up," the Flash gave both a disarming grin.

There was something deeply impressive as the Javelin shot out of the Tower hangar, the dark backdrop of outer space dotted with stars before them as they flew at speeds faster than any jet ever.

"Stars," Judai murmured, tracing a finger across the skies. " I have a friend named for the stars. At least, I will have."

"Would?" Flash asked, beside both of them.

"There was a time paradox," Judai frowned. "Or at least, there will be. There's no way to discuss temporal matters in any language not built to handle it."

"You can travel through time?" Flash looked at him.

"Sometimes," Judai shrugged. "Though it's not advised. Travelling forward is one thing, but backwards is kinda difficult. It disrupts the balance, so we don't."

"Sweet!"

"I wonder if we can get back in time for the Championships," Johan murmured. Around him, the spirits laughed, prompting a tic to appear on Batman's temple.

"Wouldn't guarantee it," Judai shook his head. "Maybe slightly after. Do you think Edo will kill me if you miss it this time?"

"I think Sho might restrain him," Johan considered seriously. "Or Asuka. Or Fubuki. On second thought, not Fubuki, he's too laid-back to. Ryo, now, he might join Edo."

"True," Judai nodded. "Well, it just means I have to scarper before Hell Kaiser can come after me."

"We're talking about a double Ph.D. holder and Hell Kaiser, he'll find a way," Johan shrugged. "Besides, Endymion would've told him."

"All the more to piss him off," Judai muttered, looking out of the window. "Wow..."

"Welcome to space," Kilowog's voice rumbled. "Maybe now is kinda inappropriate to say it, but by regulation, you're technically under arrest. Sorry."

"I can't even recall it," Judai muttered. "Neither can Yubel."

"You can't recall the complete annihilation of over thirty known civilisations," John stated, his voice flat. "Is. That. So."

"Yubel... she was turned insane by a cosmic force," Judai muttered. "It's not like she chose to become a rampaging monster."

Superman shifted, Batman noted as he eased on the Javelin's controls. Doubtless, the Kryptonian recalled his time as a puppet of Darkseid.

"She destroyed entire planets completely!"

"It's not her fault!" Johan defended. "Yubel... do you have any idea of being controlled to do something, and you can't even recall it after? It's horrifying and painful and do you even know what it feels like?"

_Johan... _the indistinct presence that was Yubel whispered, within earshot of the Bat.

"Tell it to the judges," Kilowog shook his head. "I've got no room for philosophical puzzles."

The ship trembled as something collided with it and exploded.

"That was–" Flash blinked. "GL, now would be the time."

Judai blinked, his eyes glowing gold once more as Yubel manifested herself, as did the Crystal Beasts and the sole warrior.

"We're in deep space facing attack," the tiger's voice was oddly calm for being in danger. On Johan's shoulder, Ruby squeaked.

A clawed hand pierced through heavy-duty metal, prompting Yubel to seize it and tighten her grip, vines snaking along to twist and the hand was no more attached. "Lanterns!"

Green light flashed, protecting the ship just as one of their attackers went for the windscreen.

"Parademons," Batman identified the monsters ineffectually pounding on the green shield. "They can't be after Kal, Darkseid hasn't been reported to be back yet!"

"Paratroopers of Apokolips," Yubel snarled, baring her teeth. "They cannot have traced me, I was forced to assume my final form to take on Darkseid. He cannot be still chasing us."

Batman looked at her.

"_You_ fought Darkseid?" It was Judai who asked the question.

"I was hit twice with the Omega Beam, and forced to assume my final form ultimately," Yubel replied, as she dealt with another hand. "Only one strike was left from that battle, and from there I was stabbed in the back by the cowardly fiend! Dark Necrofear curse him!"

"I assume you were ultimately unsuccessful," Kilowog mildly said.

Yubel bared her teeth. "_Das Extremer Traurig Drachen_ appeared in the planet of fire-pits, and their dark god was nearly toppled from the rallying point around that which my host of the time was based in. Five Earth years of civil war would be enough trouble from that."

"Ow," Judai winced. "Anyway... this doesn't exactly help deal with the current problem."

The controls beeped again as the Javelin rocked from another impact, the other heroes jumping up in alarm.

"We need to run," Batman decided as the green shield began to crack. "There's a black hole opening nearby, and the rest of the fleet might be sucked into it if we leave."

Another boom sounded as the control panel beeped.

"Propulsion system's down," Superman grimly announced. "I'm going to take us to Jupiter, Kilowog, let John take over protection, leave, get us backup from Oa."

"But–"

"Jupiter is familiar territory, we can hide down there for a while, move!" Superman called as the Javelin continued to rock.

Judai winced in pain, eyes glowing yellow as he called upon the Darkness. "Black hole..."

"Calm down, Judai," Johan murmured. "Look on the bright side, at least we'll be dying together."

_Dying... dying..._

_I don't want him to die._

"The gravity will kill them!" John snapped.

"No, go towards Jupiter!" Judai shook his head. "If I do this right, I can get us to a safe place. I have... a safe-house, around Jupiter!"

"What? Kid–"

"_Listen to me_," Judai pronounced in a cold, commanding voice that indicated that he was losing patience. It was a voice that took hold of the dark part of the heart, that twisted and wrung it and screamed at it until the person stopped and listened and did as ordered. It was a voice of eldritch abomination that only could be heard within the deepest darkness, the ones who very breath would terrify even the most hardened heart.

Batman swallowed nervously as Superman quickly diverted the steering controls towards the largest planet in the local Solar System. The Javelin dived down, sucked in by the force of gravity in all its inexorable pull towards the orangey exterior of the largest, rock-based planet.

"Judai, whatever you're thinking, now!" Johan yelled as the slight Duellist was slammed against the steel walls.

"_Neo Space_!"

Later a stunned Kilowog, already rocketing at top speed past the Apokoliptian attack squad, would play back the scene in his mind, and recall that the pink light swallowed the ship before flashing and winking out, leaving only empty space where the Javelin and four of the Justice League members were.

* * *

><p>There was a flash of yellow light.<p>

It poured from everything, really, like the sun itself, or a supernova, or the birth of a star, except that Batman didn't recall actually being able to see through glaring light intensities to actually perceive it.

The glare faded, and the Bat found himself laid out flat, on his back, on the cold metal floor, the Javelin definitely not functioning in any way. The giant hole torn into the hull would have disqualified it for space travel immediately.

"Cold..." Superman whispered, somewhere around his left.

"I... know..." Flash muttered behind, and the Bat could hear his teeth chatter.

"Flash?" John, Lantern, was fine, if the voice was an indicator in any way. That was evident. "What's wrong with you?"

"Judai, why are we in here?" Johan Andersen. Who definitely knew where this place was.

"Oh, crap!" Judai yelped.

Judai Yuuki. Who _definitely_ have something to do with this. "Oi, Neo-Spacians!"

"Judai, you brought friends!" A voice crowed as a flutter of feathers was heard amidst steel creaking, though the Bat couldn't be too sure.

Shadow blocked his sight as the armour green warrior appeared before him. "Do not panic. I am granting you power, enough that the Realm's call will not take you. The rest of the Neo-Spacians are doing the same for those incapable of resisting it, for now."

The whites of the cowl's eyes widened. "You're..."

"I am the Warrior of Zera," the figure grimaced. "I had hoped for better circumstances to meet face-to-face, but needs be. We are in my world, the world of the Duel Monsters. More specifically, the dominion guarded by the Elemental Hero Neos, Neo Space."

There was a momentary silence before Batman saw it; the red-suited humanoid Road-runner outfitted with wings.

He blinked.

Flash sat up, behind him. "Bats? What the–?"

He, too, saw the bird.

"Hi!" the bird chirped, grinning, as much as one could grin with a beak.

There was no way to stop it.

He blinked. _Now _he had seen everything.

"Where...?" Superman sat up, pale, eyes wide. "There's a talking Road-runner in front of us."

The being in question bristled. "I am the Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird, if you must know! How rude!"

"He doesn't know, Air," Judai sighed, climbing out of the hole. One by one the other Crystal Beasts, which had also taken solid form, followed him, to the mind-boggling amazement of the Justice League members. "You'll have to forgive them, they're new to this."

A buzzing sound was heard as a humanoid scarab appeared, its black horn sticking up and proud as it stopped by the hole to help Judai up. "Thanks, Flare."

"You're welcome," the humanoid scarab helped Johan up next and continued with the rest of the Crystal Beasts, save for Cobalt Eagle and Sapphire Pegasus, who could fly.

"Are you coming out?" Zera questioned as he leapt up to clear the hole with a single bound to look back.

Batman held up a hand, which he easily grabbed and hefted the Dark Knight up through. Superman and John followed by flying out, Flash glowing green and floating alongside John.

"Whoa," Flash stated upon seeing the new world for the first time.

Imagine a place, where, as far as the eye can see, the landscape was split into six different terrains. An entire lake, complete with sandy beach, occupied one part, while directly opposite was a volcano, smoking gently. By the volcano was a gently sloping valley, the soil dark and presumably fertile, and opposite that, by the lake, was a patch of flat land upon which giant hibiscus-like flowers grew. Again, opposing terrains found themselves as a shimmering light and a dark jungle occupied what, to them, was most definitely the east and west respectively.

The Javelin had crashed into the flat dark land, near the centre, which was a simple patch of grass where a round, conical tent of white was set up, reaching high into the skies, almost like a tepee. Overhead was scattered the stars, but in numbers so extensive that the effect was, plainly, otherworldly.

"Indeed," Superman murmured.

As the heroes landed before the tent, from the tent exited a tall figure, as tall as perhaps Batman or Superman, dressed in complete whites save for the red and blue lines along its sides and shoulder armour. The blues that filled its eyes were only slightly lighter than the blue line that boldly bisected its face down, at least where a normal man would have a face. On its chest was splashed a blue orb surrounded by three triangles of red, with one triangle pointing down like an arrow.

"Neos!" Judai happily greeted as he jogged up, Johan and the Crystal Beasts following him.

"Judai," the Elemental Hero nodded politely. How it spoke without a mouth would be a mystery to ponder for the ages. "It has been too long since you entered our world, but why are there other Light-dwellers in Neo Space?"

"We were being attacked around Jupiter, it seemed a good idea," Judai answered absently, looking about. "I wasn't here before."

"Here is the Space Crossroads, the centre of Neo Space," Neos indicated the different terrains. "As you well know already, time and space are relative to us in this realm. The lake shall take you to Dolphina, the volcano to Flare Scarab's home world, the field to Air Hummingbird's domain, and so on. It is also the best place to guard, as one invariably will pass through here when moving through Neo Space. I presume that, since we found you and your companions alone, that your pursuers did not follow you?"

"Probably not," Judai frowned. "You think they did, Yubel?"

An unfurling of wings preceded the Fiend sauntering over from behind. "Perhaps. Though the Realm might have gotten to them already," she mused.

"I see," Neos nodded, expression impenetrable. "Is there a need for us that you have come, or is it merely to be with comrades once more?" His impenetrable gaze fell upon John. "And with a soldier of the Green Lantern with us? How flattering. I am afraid that I am unfamiliar with the rest. But I have kept the weary out for too long, come in, we await you."

By some precaution, Neos made sure that Judai was the last to enter. The precaution was understood the moment the brown-haired boy walked in, as he was swarmed with Monsters of all sizes and shape.

"Judai!" A humanoid dolphin gave the boy a high-five. The Crystal Beasts were not exempted from the welcome, the inside of the tent quickly becoming a menagerie. It was, more or less, a bright open space that was more or less empty, a public space, so to speak.

"What the–?" The League members found themselves swarmed soon enough with welcomes from the strangest anthropomorphic creatures, short of sentient gorillas, they had ever seen.

"Ah, yes," Judai snapped his fingers. "Introductions! My friends, these are heroes of the Light world, from the strongest organisation of heroes the Light world has! Here we have Green Lantern!"

A pause, before general applause was heard.

"The Flash!" the speedster gave them a two-fingered salute, to which they applauded.

"Superman!" More applause.

"And...? Where's Batman?" he looked about, perplexed.

From the edges of the gathering, the Dark Panther and Zera glared at a corner.

"You really shouldn't hide," the black feline growled.

_Sentient panthers. Now I've seen everything_.

"These are some of my friends, the Neo-Spacians," Judai began. "Grand Mole!"

"I remember you!" the tiny mole piped up at seeing Superman. "My Drill Mole took you down fast, yeah!"

"Er, right," Judai laughed. "Aqua Dolphin!"

"Yo, Judai!" the anthropomorphic humanoid dolphin greeted.

"Dark Panther..."

"Do not involve me, Judai," the panther growled lazily.

"Air Hummingbird!"

"Judai!" the Road-runner with wings glomped the Duellist, prompting many a laugh.

"Flare Scarab!"

"Judai!" the beetle grabbed both of them into a hug.

"Oh, and... my ace, Neos!" Judai made a grand gesture to the white Elemental Hero, who merely looked away. "Well, that covers everyone, so... welcome to the Duel Spirit world, Neo Space!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Please review!<strong>_


	6. Verdant Sanctuary

_**In which the ramifications of dimensional travelling are discussed, and we move from Neo Space to a forest of giant talking plants and insects and warriors.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five: Verdant Sanctuary<strong>

The otherworldly outlook of Neo Space might be pretty, but Batman soon learned that there was virtually no way to tell time in this world. Of course, he doubted that the anthropomorphic heroes had any use for a clock anyway, but it was the principle of the thing.

"You won't find one here," Zera airily replied, polishing his sword with the great care afforded by one who knows that this was an important part of him. "A way to tell time, that is. And even so, there is no way to tell time as humans do so in this realm."

He paused. "Except for with Kozakys, but they're a bit... off."

Batman did not dignify that with a response. "There is some way. I know it."

"Time is... a relative thing," the warrior answered. "Here, how time passes to you might not be the same as for another. So theorises your mortal sage, the one with the wild hair."

"Einstein," Batman grunted, watching from the sidelines as Kal El, Flash and Lantern were swarmed on all fronts by enthusiastic, sugar-hyped anthropomorphic heroes. It was a sight to be treasured forever, if only because Batman was like that.

The black panther gave him a level look, handing over a small platter of chips to the Air Hummingbird with his mouth. "Even more relative is how long might pass while you're in this realm. It might be no time at all, or it could be a hundred years. Perhaps more so."

Batman had the sudden thought of exiting the realm, to a wasteland where Gotham once was. Nightwing was good, but there was a reason why Dick took Bludhaven; Gotham's Dark Knight was always there. Robin was still inexperienced, and Batgirl could not always be there for him. The odds that someone in the Rogues' Gallery would level the city to the ground grew exponentially with every day spent not in Gotham, as would the crime and corruption levels.

Years of work, erased because of a protracted enforced absence, was not something he was prepared to accept.

"The most interesting question, I find, is this," the warrior murmured. "Why did you follow, when you had clearly no need to?"

Batman could not answer that.

* * *

><p>"It's... frankly amazing," Superman muttered as he saw the Neo-Spacians interact and laugh with each other. "I know they're game characters, but this..."<p>

"This is so cool!" Flash exclaimed. "So Hero City really exists? Can we go there? Please, please, please?"

"It's not on the way there," Yubel answered. "We have to trek through Forest, then get past Pandemonium, and get to the Legendary Ocean before we reach Venom Swamp. Even then, we'll have to jump through the Different Dimensions from there, and that's always risky. Everything else will pale in comparison with the last leg of the journey to Oa."

"I thought that you can do that teleportation thing," John pointed out.

"Different rules," Yubel shook her head again. "Just like we call your world the World of Light, here is a world of shadows. Agents of light and darkness use these places to move spatially long distances in a temporally shorter time. Either way, we have to physically move. The only good news is that the journey need not entirely be conducted on foot, since the Realm has a loosely coordinated transport system. It will be the Different Dimensions that prove the most difficult."

"Why?" Superman asked.

Yubel looked him square in the eye. "It is connected to all other dimensions. Including the Phantom Zone. And with such close proximity to their object of hatred, the spirits of the Zone will fight with all their power to drag you with them, child of Jor El."

Superman winced. "The Phantom Zone was meant to imprison those who defied Kryptonian law!"

"That does not make it any better," Yubel observed. "I am not finished. The farther we dwell, the faster Ra's influence upon you shall disappear. Your power shall be lost."

Superman froze. "What?"

The conversation was interrupted by Batman. "She's right. I've studied the skies, and I can't see a single yellow sun around."

"It just means that you'll slowly become powerless as we continue, until we get to Oa," Judai chirped, walking over. "Has anyone seen Johan?"

"Outside, with the... Glow Moss, Black Panther, and the Cocoons," Batman quickly pinpointed before he realised everyone was staring at him. "Yes?"

Judai shook his head. "Since we're going through the Duel Monsters world, I thought I might as well arm you."

"Arm us?" John incredulously repeated. "Kid, we are–"

"You are defenceless people in my world," Judai interrupted. "Remember the cold you felt? In here, the shadows will steal your life energy unless you have power over them or unless a Duel Spirit is protecting you, and right now it's the latter. Batman has his own Duel Spirit, so he can move independently. However, if you leave any of us, the shadows will steal your life energy in double-quick time. The Lantern ring might protect you, but it won't last forever, and the shadows are going to be everywhere. So, you are going to be armed for one of those reasons."

"The other is because there are other monsters out there," Batman confirmed.

Judai nodded. "I never said they were all nice. Especially in the Dark World-Pandemonium border. Even Duellists are armed, with their cards. Of course, there aren't enough cards to distribute, so... hit it fast, hard, and run is the default strategy. If you die here..." he trailed off.

"Yes?" the Flash whispered, swallowing at the tension in the air.

"You remain here forever," Judai whispered.

* * *

><p>"The Oa trip is still on, then?" Johan considered, absently batting off Ruby and Amethyst.<p>

"It's the most ideal," Judai shrugged. "You still want to follow along?"

"I don't like it," Johan shook his head. "I understand the situation, though."

"It's an adventure,"Judai considered. "I don't fancy walking back to Earth with aliens pursuing me, you?"

"Not likely," Johan wryly answered. "But, if you go haring off, I shall track you down. The thing I'm concerned about is our... guests."

"They'll be fine," Judai shrugged. "We'll just give them a quick heads-up before the jump."

"Jump?" the Batman stepped from the shadows.

Both Duellists gave him odd looks before shrugging, rather than jumping in fear. "The whole place is composed of twelve dimensions," Judai informed him. "More or less, anyway. Monsters move between worlds through a few methods, some of which only they can use. These dimensions, however, do not touch at the exact same point, at the same time. Given this and the uncertain time-flow, it is possible to make a dimensional jump from here to Earth, given the right time, or equally possible that we get stranded into deep space."

"So how long would the trip to Oa take us?" Batman asked.

Judai considered. "Given the time-flow, about... five Earth days."

"Five. Days."the vigilante repeated.

"It's a rough estimate," Judai defended. "It's best to leave soon, before the time changes. We'll have a pack quite a bit, since we'll be holding the journey mostly on foot."

Batman looked down to his black-shod feet. "Good thing I brought my hiking boots," he muttered.

* * *

><p>Faced with the prospect of eternally wandering the Realm, the heroes were notably cautious as the Black Panther led them through the huge wasteland that lay beyond the mixed terrain of Neo Space. The quadruped Neo Spacian paused slightly, before indicating a spot of terrain surrounded by raised rocks.<p>

"Johan," Judai alerted, his eyes glowing green.

"I summon Rainbow Dragon!" the Scandinavian commanded as the huge white dragon appeared. Opalescent light gleamed from the creature as a oval portal began to form from thin air, emitting light of the seven colours that converged into a white swirl at the centre.

"Let's go!" Judai leapt forward, Johan immediately following.

Batman looked at the hesitant group. "Well?"

Stepping into the portal was like walking through a doorway, the Batman quickly found himself in a completely different terrain. From a nearby tree, a butterfly with large blue wings which spanned at least a foot fluttered past, while on another tree, a ladybug with a mirror coat glimmered in the faint light streaming through the trees. A path, worn smooth by footsteps over the years, led between him to dark, tree-lined depths which, to the Bat, seemed to hide more shadows than it had the right to.

"Wow," Flash echoed quietly as he walked in, the rest trailing in their wake.

"There's no sun here," Superman reported. "I can feel it."

"Welcome to the Forest," Yubel identified the place as Johan followed last with the dragon which disappeared. "The area is ruled by three great powers. To the north is Closed Forest, where its strongest hide. We shall be moving forward, into the borders of the Black Garden and the Verdant Sanctuary. We are safe, for a given value."

The Bat considered the dark and shady path before them, and then, very deliberately, looked behind at the other dark and shady path.

"The land is very contested," Yubel admitted. "We might end up in a crossfire between plants and insects if we are unlucky, since I am a sometime ally of the Red Queen."

"Soon, we will walk into a giant chessboard that we shall have to play our way across," Zera remarked quietly.

Snorting, Batman followed the guide on the path into the Forest of shadows. _Through The Looking-Glass. _

"She means the Camellia Princess, the ruler of the Forest's flora," Zera replied.

A picture of Poison Ivy flashed in his mind as they walked. _She'd like it here._

"How large are the bugs here?" Flash half-yelped as a grasshopper about the size of a small dog hopped past.

"Huge," Johan promptly replied. "And some are carnivorous."

"Are the plants carnivorous as well?" Superman asked.

"Not really..." Judai considered. "But they can still kill you, anyway, so caution is best. Watch out!"

The group very quickly dodged the two-feet long honey bee that dived down at them before flying off, furiously buzzing all the while.

The Flash swallowed, getting back up. "Hate bees... oh. My. Gosh."

"Wha...?" the question died in his throat as he beheld the giant spider that stood in the heart of the invisible web that somehow, the whole group had managed to walk into. It was built like a black widow, except easily as large as a small house or a pickup truck, and it had yellow-edged legs, as well as human features outlined in yellow skin. The human-looking spider was drooling, and it certainly looked hungry enough to try out the Superhero Diet where they eat only lean raw vigilante.

"The Insect Queen, Arachne," Zera whispered, half in awe, half in fear. "If she is here, then nearby must be..."

Pincers on either side of the spider's mouth clicked, and from behind leapt a slim figure in green to land behind the group. Batman made out four arms encased in pink and green armour, a pair of large Monarch Butterfly's wings on the back of the head and feelers not unlike a praying mantis before the figure lashed out a foot to kick the Lantern back into the tightly-knit group.

"The Insect Princess, Parvana," Zera finished.

Yubel gave the warrior a look. "It appears that you are fairly well-versed in this part of the Realm, then."

"Who are you, to walk in the Verdant Sanctuary?" the figure spoke in a voice that rang beautifully but completely alien to any human voice-box.

Judai quickly walked up to face the feminine-looking figure in green. "I am the Herald of the Gentle Darkness. As is the right granted by the title, I request safe passage," he spoke, not to the figure, but to the large spider.

The spider clicked its mandibles furiously in a language that the Batman could hardly understand.

"It is an old form of Arachnid, known only to the Spiders." Zera observed, by the side. "I would not recommend studying it."

"Of course you may, herald," the figure in green spoke again. "However, the same does not apply for the rest of your... companions. They are the prey of mine and my daughter."

"The Insect Queen, and the Insect Princess, two of the most well-known Insect Monsters in the game," Flash squeaked in some horror. "This would be so cool if they weren't going to eat us."

The spider clicked mandibles together furiously in a symphony of indecipherable clicks.

"A toll to pay your way through, then," the Insect Princess spoke once more. "Leave one behind, and the rest shall have safe passage through."

"No chance," Judai shook his head as his DuelDisk unfolded. "Neos!"

A white-clad figure appeared quickly, moving the Insect Princess out of the way.

"Run!" Johan hissed, turning back. The whole group quickly followed, even Judai who quickly dismissed Neos. They ran along the path away from the visibly angry spider and human-insect to...

… a clump of trees, almost circular in shape, giving off pollen in such thick concentrations that it glittered in the air, and the whole place seemed like that of a fairytale forest.

Batman blinked rapidly as he adjusted to the light difference. "This is..."

"The Spiritual Forest," Yubel examined the trees closely. "Excellent. We are close to Black Garden, then. Although they might not react very favourably as well..."

An arrow shot out from amongst the trees, landing true on a knot in the trunk close to the Fiend's hand. At the same time, three bare-handed fighters leapt from the trees to pile on the Flash, a sword-wielding warrior held her large blade close to Superman's throat, and Green Lantern struggled to free himself from the tight gold chains held by blue-clad warriors. Batman, Judai, Johan, and their monsters stayed far apart, taking up stances to prepare to defend themselves from their female ambushers.

"What, do we have here?" a strong feminine voice called from the trees, the clear leader of the warriors showing herself. She was a coffee-skinned blue-haired female warrior in tribal garb, bare-footed save for bandages round her feet and ankles up to her calves, jewellery of ivory teeth and claws hanging from throat and cloth and wristbands and calves. It was her left eye that marked her; it was obscured by a blue eye-patch like a crown. Curled tattoos like henna markings covered the entire left side of her body, and a fur skirt completed the ensemble. Yet, the wild outfit stood in clear contrast against he stance, that of discipline and control, straight and prepared.

"Herald," the woman greeted.

"Queen Adrasteia," Judai spoke. "Kindly release these guests of the Shadow Realm."

"Ah, of course," she snapped her fingers, the warriors quickly backing off from stunned heroes. "You see, you were just about to disrupt the traps."

"Ah," Judai nodded. "Many thanks, then."

Batman squinted, making out the outline of ropes and wires and sharpened stakes along the entire clearing, and was suddenly very relieved. "Amazonesses."

"Dark Knight," the Amazoness Queen nodded in greeting. "My greetings to you too, though I suppose it could have been done on better terms." Her sharp eyes travelled over the rest. "A runner. A soldier of the Lantern. And a Last Son of the lost civilisations, on top of the Herald of the Gentle Darkness. You keep illustrious company, dark knight. My archers, the evening meal is escaping."

An arrow shot, straight and true, to stick in the heart of a small round rabbit which large, expressive eyes. The tiny long-eared rabbit gave the archers a look of sheer cuteness that caused even the heroes to flinch slightly.

"Bunilla..." Yubel sweat-dropped slightly at the creature's hurt expression.

The arrow fell off, intact, as the rabbit leapt over towards the Bat and hid behind his legs, much to the dark vigilante's mortification.

"Hey, Bats," Flash gave a big grin. "I think it likes you!"

Batman glared down at the small creature, who enlarged its eyes to epic proportions and gave the one Look that would demand pity; the puppy-eyes. Unable to refuse, the Bat just looked away, much to the other heroes' (and the others present) amusement.

"How... endearing," Adrasteia commented wryly. "I suppose the Terrorking Salmon will have to do, then. Perhaps... yes, send Acantha to hunt the Mad Lobsters. We shall be having Mad Lobster cakes today, along with the fruits."

The entire hunting contingent cheered, which led the Bat to conclude that Mad Lobster was a delicacy of a sort.

"Since I cannot allow your group to remain lost in the woods, shall you join us for the midday meal?" Adrasteia inquired politely. "Even if you are _men_," and the way she said the word was, in Batman's experience, very typical of the Amazons of Themyscira, "To refuse extending our hospitality is to insult the code of hospitality."

Judai nodded, beaming. "Of course."

This was how four of the Justice League's founding members found themselves breaking bread with a group of estranged Amazons. One has to admit, their luck in this realm was strange beyond reason.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Please review!<strong>_


	7. Queen's Pawn

_**There are discussions. About everything. And then, there's a very hostile garden and an owner that doesn't like people picking its roses.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six: Queen's Pawn<strong>

Throughout the entire trip through the Forest, the Justice League members kept barely suppressed smirks on their faces, especially in the case of Flash.

"I must say, dark knight," the Amazoness Queen barely suppressed a smirk of her own. "I have never seen anyone quite with your ability to attract the helpless."

The Bat glared at her. Beside him, the absolutely adorable puppy lolled its tongue out. On his head, right between the pointy ears, the Bunilla trembled, squeaking. The sight would have been ridiculously comical if not for the Bat-glares being given out for free. Even Judai and Johan were snickering, their own Duel Monsters making snuffing noises that the Bat was very sure was their way of laughing hysterically.

The Bunilla was heavy. That was his excuse for taking the thing and lobbing it at the Flash, thereby impacting the hero's thick skull and hopefully not inducing a concussion, but ending in a world of pain for the Flash. The Bunilla struck true, and as a bonus, its teeth latched on.

Flash's scream was a thing of beauty indeed.

His ego thus satisfied, the Batman turned his attention towards their escorts instead, noting how the warrior women moved cautiously, as if afraid of accidentally disrupting some hidden monster.

"_Kohi_?" the Queen Adrasteia offered a handful of brown beans from her pouch.

The Bat shook his head; considering that he saw the beans come out of the carnivorous version of the Venus Fly-trap just moments before, he would rather not. Plus, he was not sure that the thing was secretly poison.

"Shame," she shrugged, taking one to chew on. "Gigaplant matures quickly, and it is rare to find one that has not already matured into spawning engines. It is a good, albeit rare treat, even when freshly taken."

The other heroes all gave her odd looks.

Arrival into the village was anticlimactic, in comparison to the last time any hero had set foot in Themyscira. The small houses were built using bamboo or something similar to it, and the women mostly ignored them save for a quick mass swivelling of heads at their direction before the women went about their business, although Batman saw some latch onto swords, blowpipes, staves and in rare cases, tightening gloves or preparing chains. The common theme of the jungle was apparent; all of the women wore leaves or fur or clothing synthesised from naturally occurring material, cotton or wool or furs of a sort, and the women were hardly afraid to flaunt their midriffs. Even so, the looks continued hostility masked by curiosity.

It was definitely a far cry from Themyscira.

"Unusual," Batman observed.

"We are situated at the borders of Sogen, the Grasslands of Warriors, and the Forest itself," the Queen explained. "Towards the north is where the Secret Village of Spellcasters is situated, and from there it leads to Yami, where the Fiends and Spellcasters reside proper, and from there the Pandemonium-Dark World border awaits you. We therefore live in one of many crossroads that lie on the Realm. It would be awkward to place prejudice before survival."

"I know people who would disagree."

"So you do," the Queen nodded in reply as a blonde warrioress wearing her hair in a white shroud, her white clothing and armour torn and dented respectively, approached them cautiously. "Acantha. How was the catch, my Paladin?"

"Chanda caught the Mad Lobsters easily," the fierce-looking blonde replied. "Maiara and Sumati are preparing more herbs that need more Black Rose powder, my queen."

"Again?" the Queen sighed. "I will enter Tytannial's demesne after the meal, then. For now, we must tend to our guests."

"As you say," she replied tersely. "If you would excuse me."

"Not everyone can put away prejudices so easily," Batman observed.

"Not every soul forget as easily as I, I guess," Adrasteia sighed. "I wear these bracelets because of the old mandate, and because I am not convinced that the whole realm would hide us from the eyes of the old gods. I do not hate men, that I can claim, because I already know that the only ones to hate are dead and hopefully suffering. It is this quality where I differ from most, I suppose."

The warrior-queen sighed. "What am I saying? Come, I shall lead you to freshen up, and the meal shall be served."

* * *

><p>"This is <em>good<em>," Flash sighed, tasting the food as if he was afraid it would run away.

"Understatement of the century," Lantern sighed.

"It is," Superman stated, almost awed.

Batman had to agree.

"Mad Lobster cakes," The spirit Zera explained behind him. "Mad Lobsters are more common in Dark World, where the royalty have them served as a delicacy."

"Try the Terrorking Salmon fillet, it's good." Judai spoke through after swallowing his third one.

"That it is," the queen laughed, seated at the head of the long table with the rest of the tribe. Despite the discomfort of the members closest to the heroes, no warrior women showed signs of wanting to escape. "Bless the Nile and Euphrates that flows through Dark World and brings these delicacies. A drink to wash it down?"

Superman tasted the drink in the roughly-hewn cup. "It's... alcoholic?"

"Wine is the same across all worlds, apparently," the Queen Adrasteia chuckled. "Don't you agree, Maiara?"

"In this world and the past world of the old reign," the wizened old shaman woman growled in reply. "In other worlds, that we know not yet. Drink, champion of the libertine, it will bolster the courage when it comes time to pass the Black Garden."

"It's probably safer than water here anyway," the Bat growled.

"If you wanted a poison-free drink then the Medicines would be fine," the Amazoness Sage Sumati replied. "Of course, the old wine would work as well... though it is extremely antique..."

"I need the wine," Adrasteia shot back. "Don't force me to fight _it_ again."

"The old wine?" The Bat asked.

"Three millennia old," the Queen confirmed. "A reminder of days under Hippolyta. True, it was peaceful... though I find it impractical. I find it tiring to hate men whose only crime is to take the spoils of war as they saw it under the command of a man driven mad by the gods."

"Then we are in agreement."

"Yet I cannot fight the gods," Adrasteia sighed. "For all my titles, for all my power, for all my skill, I remain hidden with my tribe. It is a small thing, though peace is here at last." She looked wistful. "I no longer remember what the world of light looked like. I know that it bears some resemblance to the realm, but where it is real, and where it is fiction becomes uncertain."

"You... forget?"

"We all do, to some extent, dark knight." Maiara wheezed. "We have been here for three millennia, reflecting. One tends to find forgiveness in their hearts after so long reflecting. Some never do, they bury it in their hearts through isolation. Life is appreciated by the broken only when they are fighting for it, is it not."

"Perhaps, elder," the queen laughed. "Eat quickly, dark knight, lest your runner friend takes it all."

"This meal, I–"

"I do it not for you," the Queen lazily replied, scratching behind the large floppy ear of the Bunilla, which was currently perched on the wood table before the Bat, chewing on carrots. "I do it for the Herald, who saves us all, and his consort, who shall ever support him in the light. The world of Light means nothing to me now, and never again will. I am not entirely altruistic, I do it also because news of this would reach Hippolyta one way or another."

"Ah," the Bat nodded, downing half of the cup. "I see. That's as good a reason as any, I guess."

"Today we have guests," the Queen murmured. "I suppose it is good that your entourage leaves before the revels. It would hardly be... _sporting_. Not all of the Amazonesses are forgiving despite having left the aegis of Hippolyta, nor are they friendly. Trespassers have been gutted before."

"Then why not now?"

"Because the Herald is with you," the Queen shrugged. "And he accompanies you of his own will. Not all of you must be bad."

Her eyes strayed to Yubel, who was currently untangling Judai from the empty platter that once held the fillet of a length so impossible that Batman could hardly believe that the thing was actually salmon.

Batman caught the silent implication.

A loud burp interrupted the murmurs of conversation as every sentient being turned to regard the Flash.

The speedster just looked back. "What?"

* * *

><p>"Good food," the Flash moaned, mockingly stretching his arm back towards the Amazoness Secret Village.<p>

"Do be quiet, lest we meet another Gigaplant," the Queen tensely replied, drawing her large sabre as they approached a mass of vines.

Upon approaching it, Batman's jaw nearly dropped as he regarded the twisting vines, the small trees, the little statues of cherubs blowing horns covered in vines, all littered with the heads of black-petal roses that spread throughout the small sunlit clearing, the odd spot being the red mass in the centre of the clearing.

Yubel chuckled. "This is..."

"It is." Hardly fazed, a katana of glowing black appeared in her hand. "Let's do this, you lizard!"

The mass of red shifted, and it was soon clear that it was a pair of wings as a serpentine head appeared, beady yellow eyes glaring at her as the thing roared and black rose petals scattered in it's wake.

Batman found his jaw dropping. "A _dragon_?"

"Cool!" Flash exclaimed, before his face fell. "Oh, not cool."

"Let's go," Yubel signalled, and the team left the Amazoness Queen to duke it out with the dragon in an epic battle that would rock the forests to come.

* * *

><p>"We need to get to the Secret Village of Spellcasters," Yubel observed once they exited the scratching vines and the thorny stems and the cutting roses of the obviously hostile garden. "The temporal flux is being maintained, for once. How unusual. That would mean that one of the great powers of the realm is exerting its will upon it."<p>

"And how many are there?" the Batman asked.

"Many," Yubel reluctantly answered. "Exodia and the Gods, the Sacred Beasts, the Legendary Planets, the Ritual Gods of Destruction, the Deities. Any number of lesser powers. And the _hikari_ and _yami, _beings of balance they are. Oh."

The heroes made similar noises of surprise, which caused the Batman to turn to regard the being blocking their path. The being was clearly male, had blue skin, and wore a tight blue jester-like outfit complete with large pink hat almost similar to a ram's horns with a green jewel in the front. Its small eyes regarded them plainly, as if ready to attack any moment.

"The Magician of Black Chaos!" Flash muttered. "Whoa!"

"We seek passage to Yami, chaos magician," Yubel replied, to the silent magician. "From one Monster to another, allow us passage through the Secret Village of Spellcasters."

The magician produced his staff, conjuring a portal that glimmered with the rainbow.

Yubel looked at the portal, before giving the magician a flat look. The chaos magician merely shrugged, before disappearing in a quick half-turn of his foot.

"We just got ourselves passage straight into the heart of Pandemonium," Yubel sighed to a curious Judai. "Ready?"

The heroes never got to reply as they were tackled through the portal.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Please review!<strong>_


	8. Archfiend's Roar

_**Our heroes go from the Forest, and get involved in a Fiend War. Another character appears, a creepy and potentially hostile one.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven: Archfiend's Roar<strong>

Barely five minutes into this place and Batman was all for getting out of here.

"Why," he growled as he dodged several armed demons. "Are we in the middle of a battlefield?"

"Ah," Johan dodged the next horde and called up Sapphire Pegasus. "This must be the Pandemonium-Dark World border."

"Pandemonium," Zera echoed beside Batman, sword out to defend against any demons. "The land of the Archfiends... my chosen, we must leave here. I do not have a very good history with the Archfiends"

"We leave," Batman scanned through the hordes of fighting demons and heroes. "Kal, Lantern, Flash, we're running. Now!"

"All for it," the Flash panted, tears already apparent in his costume. "Now... how the heck do we do that?"

"Neos, attack!" Judai called from behind. "Well, the next portal is in Dark World, lucky for small mercies... but... we'll have to get past that."

Batman looked towards the indicated area, past what must be the leader of the demons, to the rest of the battlefield. "The leader?"

"The Terrorking and the Infernalqueen, and then the Castle of Dark Illusions," Judai clarified. "It's not really the actual castle we have to be afraid of, it's who's living in there. I summon Grand Mole!"

Superman threw a whole battalion away as the tiny mole appeared. "So what's so dangerous about the castle's inhabitants?"

"The _yamis_," Judai answered. "They're the oldest shadow mages and the strongest. In this area, there are two of them living here, and neither is likely to be helpful to us. Well, maybe me and Johan. You guys... not likely. Let's go! Contact Fusion!"

Batman blinked at the sudden non sequitor until he noticed the mole and the Elemental Hero fusing into a new monster, this one holding a huge drill. "That's...?"

"Elemental Hero Grand Neos, drill us a path!" Judai commanded as the hero surged forward to dig through the clashing demons in purple and red armour. "Follow my lead, run!"

They ran through the new path, past the clashing noises and the bloody slaughters into the dark mists and forests that seemed prevalent throughout. The sudden silence was eerie, eerie in the way that Gotham was right before all hell broke loose.

Needless to say, only Batman was the only hero at ease here. "Where are we?"

"We have left the Pandemonium-Dark World border," Yubel considered, hovering far above. "The temporal flux shows no sign of abating, but it is different nevertheless. I would say that we are in Yami, where the lands of Fiends touch with that of Spellcasters. We must move deeper into Yami to find the next portal to the Legendary Citadel of Atlantis."

"Let's go, then," Batman replied, turning around. "What are we doing here for?"

"I hear teeth chattering," Yubel spoke in a low voice. "That sound... is the Fiend Queen, the Dark Necrofear. And with her..."

The whinny of a horse sounded in the darkness as the clop of hooves slowly moving sounded. From the mists erupted a skeletal-looking horse, its riders both pale of skin and white of hair, dressed in contrasting robes of black and white. Behind them trailed a blue-skinned spectre in armour, the doll in its hands chattering its teeth furiously.

"My skin just crawled," Flash whispered.

"Creepy," Lantern echoed.

"I agree," the Man of Steel muttered in reply.

"Yami no Bakura," Batman replied.

"Oh, we have guests," the figure in black purred, russet eyes twinkling. "How cute. You trespass in mine while I hunt?"

"We were just passing through," Judai argued. "Bye."

"I think not," Bakura snorted. "You and your... friend can go, of course, Herald, but from them, only the Dark Knight should be here. Why are the rest of them here? Perhaps... as payment? Well then, I accept."

"These souls are not for you, Bakura!" Judai defended. "They are under my protection!"

"Ne, Ryou," Bakura purred to the figure in white in his arms. "What do you say to a hunt?"

Judai's face drained of all colour as the figure stirred. "A hunt...? Sounds fun... what are we hunting?"

"A soldier of the Green Lantern, a runner, and the last son of an old civilisation," Bakura gently replied. "All of you, you have a head-start of one minute. Run."

"Go!" Half-dragging, half-carrying, the Duellists took off with the heroes following after them.

"Don't use super-speed!" Judai yelled warningly to Flash. "If you get out of our range, you'll lose the protection! Then the Shadow Realm will take you as fair game!"

"What hunt was he talking about?" the Bat muttered as they ran.

"Bakura is the ultimate master of this part," Judai answered as they took a left turn. "If you're caught by him in the hunt, what can you imagine will happen? Things like human rights don't exist in the Shadow Realm. There are cases of people finding natural portals to here, and they never come back... some of them ended up here as victims of his hunts... so if you're caught here, I can't save you!"

"So, we're just going to run?" Flash shot at them.

"We're approaching the jump point," Yubel observed. "A right turn, then jump, don't turn back."

"What behind- EEEEK!" Flash ran faster.

Batman peeked behind to see the entire malevolent army that was under the command of Yami Bakura, and leading them all was the grinning white-haired demonic spectre himself.

He turned forward. "Run faster."

"There's the jump point ahead!" Judai yelled. "Ready, set, jump-"

* * *

><p>The first thing heard was the crashing of waves across the beach...<p>

Beach?

Batman recovered himself, getting back to his feet to note that he was standing on a beach, the white sand a stark indicator against black gloves. "Where is this?"

"Argh, sand!" Judai was shaking sand from his sneaker. "Johan, you too?"

"Yep," Johan was doing the exact same thing.

"I think I have sand in some unmentionable places..." the Flash was muttering as he spat some out.

"We're on a beach?" Superman was already on his feet, looking out to the dark waters. It was night, the stars twinkling overhead giving the dark waters an otherworldly look.

"Guys..." Flash's voice took on a distinctly warning tone. "Where's Lantern?"

Silence...

"It appears that the Green Lantern is displaced," Zera murmured beside Batman.

Yubel, hovering over Judai, nodded. "I agree... what is that?"

Ears lowered, the Bunilla clung onto Batman's head, quivering as it gave large eyes.

"...never mind," Yubel turned away as Batman pulled it from his head, glaring. "The Green Lantern is displaced when we jumped, then the Shadow Realm will possibly guide him to safety. Otherwise, we will lose him at sea."

"Lost him at sea," Batman echoed. "Is there a way to get him back?"

"I do not know of any that can be done right now," Yubel answered neutrally. "The only thing I can think of is to get to the entrance to the nearest large population of monsters, the place of worship of the Sea Dragon God Daedalus, the Forbidden Temple of the Deep. The sooner we get to the Legendary citadel, the faster we can send out search teams to find him."

"If you are right, them we must hurry with all haste," Zera interjected. "The Metabo-Sharks might kill him... or he might become food to a Codarus."

"True," Yubel nodded. "It is fortunate that we must get to the Forbidden Temple anyway, as I have no wish to appeal to the Legendary Fisherman right now."

"We have to get Lantern," Superman insisted. "So, could you lead the way, please?"

* * *

><p>Water lapped around him as the Green Lantern John Stewart blinked briefly. Around him, the gentle currents could be felt, tiny waves stirring at his fingers and lapping at his body...<p>

...water?

He sat up, almost immediately floundering in the pool before he began to tread water. Feet touching a sandy floor before long, he stood in water up to his chest as he began to observe his new surroundings. He was standing in a large pool of what appeared to be seawater, the waters dark and seemingly bottomless despite its apparent depth.

The former Marine started as a head rose from the water, sea-green hair clinging to her scalp like seaweed. The face was beautiful in a soft feminine drowned-maiden way, that of a siren that had lured men to the watery depths. Jewels as green as her hair graced her neck, glowing with their own light to illuminate the inside of the cave he was in, he realised.

No wonder it was so dark.

"Ah," she murmured, her voice like waters lapping on the beach. "You're awake. I am the guardian of the Forgotten Temple. Pray, how did a soldier of the Green Lantern fond himself here?" A tail, a fish-tail of green-tinted blue glistening in faint light flickered beside her as she spoke in slow, measured tones.

Lantern blinked. "Did anyone... come with me?"

"I found you in the sea, with no one else with you," she replied softly. "I am vaguely aware that as a human you should not be standing in the water, but magic makes the silent waters healing, and I cannot leave the water myself.

He nodded as he hauled up to dry rocky land, outfit dripping. "Er, thanks. I need to search for my friends now. Is there a way out of here?"

She pointed down to the water.

"...any way that might not drown me?"

"I have never needed to ascend to land," she shrugged. "However, I have sent word to the strongest of us Guardians. A messenger shall find us soon. Now, answer me, how did you get here? Who are you?"

"I am the Green Lantern John Stewart of Earth," Lantern replied.

"Then you are of the Light world, and not native to the Realm," she dismissed. "Who did you come with? No mortal should be able to enter the Realm still alive, without the protection of one of the Realm's protectors."

"Judai Yuuki," Lantern decided to reply.

"The Herald," the female guardian considered. "He would be travelling to the Legendary Citadel, then, hence you only need wait. After all, there is no other way from land to the Citadel lest he takes a dive down." Her gaze then turned stern. "However, if you were to bandy that name about, I cannot guarantee that you not be caught out by others not so polite as to listen to your words."

"Oh, hush," another voice, almost a choir on its own, laughed as a figure appeared in the cave. "Kay'est, we have not had visitors for a time."

Very slowly, Lantern regarded the woman. Not only was she standing on land, but she was wearing a long blue robe and holding a red trident. The weapon looked wickedly sharp, and something told Lantern that sometimes that weapon was not just purely ceremonial.

"I'm sorry about Kay'est," the blue-haired woman cheerfully greeted. "Her ward has not contacted in a while, hence her moodiness."

"I am not!" Kay'est protested. "Where is that brat, anyway?"

"Denial is not limited to mortals," the other sighed, before turning serious. "I am the overseer of the Temple, a priestess of the Sea Dragon God. Dare I ask how a soldier of the Green Lantern has come to our realm?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Please review!<strong>_


	9. Forgotten Temple of the Deep

_**In which Guardian Kay'est is revealed as a maternal soul, the Maiden of the Aqua lends a hand, and Batman steps off the boat to land into the Umi. **_

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight: Forgotten Temple of the Deep <strong>

Johan Andersen was usually a very nice person, according to anyone who had ever met the young man.

Yet, the fact was that they had omitted to mention was that he possessed a frown to rival the Batman's scowl in ferocity.

"Come on already," said teal-haired boy was currently giving Superman a look. Given that the Kryptonian was currently incapable of flight due to the parasitic nature of the realm of monsters where only the natives of the realm and those they considered comrades dared to tread feeding off his energy, he was currently losing the battle of wills.

"It doesn't look safe," he argued.

"It's been servicing these waters for millennia, it's fine," Zera pointed out, before keeping quiet under the withering glare of a certain Bat.

"It's a pirate ship," Flash doubtfully looked at the grinning figurehead, both hands hanging onto the deck rails for dear life.

"He won't eat us, _right_? Argo?" Yubel growled at the ship. Red-stained wood creaked as the figurehead nodded softly.

"Ah!" Flash jumped to hide behind the Batman.

"Named after the constellation?" Batman questioned, looking up to watch the red and black sails ripple in a wind coming from some unknown direction.

"Carina is our carrier and defender, Puppis is our navigator, and Vela the main driving force," Yubel pointed to the hull, the aft, and the sails of the pirate ship in turn. "Together, they are the Skull Mariner, _Argo Navis_, and service the first leg of one of the two overland routes to the Legendary Citadel of Atlantis, once a part of the Forgotten Capital Lemuria."

"Three," Zera argued. "Though one looks very much like another."

"So why are we taking this way?" Superman asked aloud as a green fish resembling a manta ray leapt out, nearly sucking on before a cannon report sounded and the manta ray dropped back into the dark waters with a splash.

"The walk through the Forgotten Temple would bring you to the attention of the Sea Dragon God Daedalus, which we are keen to avoid," Yubel ticked off. "The other would be swimming through these waters, down... approximately a thousand metres or so."

"...So this is the safest," Batman finally supplied after a moment of stunned silence.

"The first leg of it," Yubel murmured in reply. "And the most expensive."

"Why?" Superman raised his head from scanning the seas to watch Judai pull out a card.

"A tribute is needed," Judai grimaced as he threw the card into the sea, which turned into a vicious Terrorking Salmon. "I ran out of Mad Lobster."

Water crashed onto the deck as the fish was quickly gobbled by a huge maw, probably large enough to swallow a herd of elephants with room for a giraffe, and the ship rocked wildly as its riders grabbed and held on in the wake of the large mouth.

"That costs a bit," Johan noted.

"And don't forget the toll," Yubel admonished the brown-haired boy who was struggling out of his red jacket.

"Yeah, yea- What toll?" Judai froze. "There's only diving down left."

"Precisely," Yubel beamed, as if he was a not very intelligent student who had finally got things right. "I think we're here already."

The figurehead creaked as chains slid off from its rails, each connected to a heavy-looking iron sphere, about two meters in diameter, and grinning at them.

"...those look like what Diana Hunter used on those people raiding KaibaCorp," Batman noted.

"They are," Judai answered, wincing as he strapped it on. "Johan?"

"I'm okay," Johan did not look improved. "Are you sure we really have to-?"

"Of course," Yubel agreed. "I can make it down, and so can the Warrior of Zera, yet if we do not weigh you down enough you will not make it to the Legendary Citadel in time, Johan. Strap on, and quickly, all of you."

Superman shot an askance look at the grinning leg irons. "Wha is the purpose of-?"

"Ah," Batman was strapping them on as the iron shrank to fit in hand. "Flash!"

"This is the weirdest mode of transport ever," the Flash grumbled as he strapped them on. "What now?"

Railings moved back as a single wooden plank lifted from the deck's flooring to rest with one end suspended over the deep dark sea.

All the heroes present stared. "...You have got to be kidding me." Flash finally said. "We've got to _literally_ walk the plank?"

Get down quickly or we'll drown," Judai stoically replied as he stepped on lightly, walking the length of the plank before diving into the water with a splash.

"Here I go," Johan sighed as he too leapt in.

"Are you sure?" Batman shot an incredulous look to the green armoured warrior.

"I can swim down," was the reply of the Warrior of Zera. "You cannot get there fast enough alone."

"We'll find Lantern..." Flash leapt in from the plank with a loud splash.

Superman hung from the edge of the surprisingly sturdy plank. "...fine." He leapt in.

"If I die, I _will_ haunt you," Batman growled as he walked the edge of the plank to leap in. juvenile it might be, but with imminent death by drowning it was well worth it.

Two creatures of the game leapt in after him to follow them.

* * *

><p>"So you have been lost," the Maiden considered as Kay'est impatiently splashed in the water. "I see. As a Maiden of the Aqua, I shall have to bring you to the Legendary Ocean, then. However, I do not know if you shall be able to live till we arrive. My speed is extremely slow in water without the assistance of the Legendary Fisherman."<p>

"I have to dive down there," Lantern flatly stated.

A flutter of wings indicated the arrival of another. "Kay'est?" a sift voice like leaves in the wind whispered. "I bear news of our ward. He is in battle, we must assist him."

"Oh!" the mermaid turned alert, flustered as she splashed around. "My Rafael! Calypso, I have to assist him! Hang on, my boy!" She dived straight into the salty waters, which shimmered a sea-foam light blue before turning black again.

"Always about the ward," the Maiden shook her head tiredly. "How attached she is to the boy is a mystery. Well, the only way is down, so down we go."

"Wha-?" Lantern never got a chance to reply as she pushed him into the water.

* * *

><p>Another volley of water hit coral floor as Batman coughed out water-saturated lungs. "Never. Again."<p>

"One minute," Yubel consulted a nearby man in robes of flowing cloth. "We made good time. Pile the shackles by the side, if you please."

"Never again," Flash was bent over, coughing water and seaweed out. "Eww... I'll never be able to look at miso soup the same way ever again."

"Drinking like a fish is a misnomer," Superman agreed, more-or-less recovered. "Still, we are drying off rather quickly."

"It is the speciality of Neo Aqua Madoor to control any and all water, on top of it being a defender of the Legendary Citadel," Yubel answered as water droplets rose in the air from her claws. "The defence provided is on par with the legendary Millennium Shield."

"There's no customs control?" Flash joked. "They're going to just dry us off and send us on our merry way?"

"Geology-spatially, we are at a stage of formation that you humans call Pangaea," Yubel considered as she floated behind Judai. "What need of such device do we have?"

"Sneak attacks?" Batman replied as all the water dried up. "How are we-?"

"The walls are composed of ice," Zera pointed out as they wandered through hallways of ice which, oddly, did not seem cold. "When water freezes, there follows a decrease of volume. The ice maintained by all Aqua Madoor can stand up to water pressure far deeper, as well as allow for the building of passable security points. Of course, this is all at the discretion of the Aqua Madoor. The threat of flooding the citadel completely to wash out any invaders at this level keeps even Dark World at bay."

"And the citizens?" Superman frowned.

"They can breathe underwater," Yubel scoffed. "As they can on land."

Batman stopped as they approached the tall, imposing gates, above which a pink-finned mermaid took her cue to break out in soprano. "What...?"

"It's built like Atlantis," Superman looked up at the glass-like dome, taking a breath. "Sunlight... there's sunlight here. I can feel my strength returning..."

"Sunlight?" Batman repeated as a pair of mermaids floated past them on bubbles. "Why put up something like this to convenience strangers?"

"No need to give up a good source of economy," Yubel shrugged.

Such a simple reason, but the World's Greatest Detective couldn't deny the simple truth in it. One corner of is mouth crooked for a moment before the Batman's poker face reasserted itself. "Where to now?"

"To find the soldier of the Lantern," Yubel reluctantly sighed. "We must pass along towards the Central Cove to begin there."

Machines trudged along their business as the odd group walked, occasionally staring. Even as a passing squid offered a round green apple as its spidery ride passed, Batman did not react, save to glare at any and all things.

"Hi, girls!" Flash enthusiastically cheered as a giggling horde of dark-skinned mermaids floating by on a slumping jellyfish.

"It'll still be able to sting you," Judai added before the Flash could get too close. "We're here."

Moss and seaweed trailed over the ruins of the Citadel. Where once-fine Grecian architecture once stood, mottled over with coral and streaks of blue and dark green, studded with shells and the occasional twinkle that could be sunken treasure or teeth, was the citadel centre. People, well, monsters of every seeming size and description bustled in and out of the doors, and a queue was forming under a giant archway that bore a familiar pair of scales hanging on the tip of a sword, the only difference being the Eye symbol etched on the sword hilt.

"The Courts," Zera followed Batman's stare up to the low-hanging roof as they walked past into the ruined pillars. "If I recall, Mobius the Frost Monarch judges this general area. What we are looking for is someone who can help us find Lantern."

"Which way to the overseer's office?" Yubel stared up towards a large pink turtle which lazily waved a flipper towards the left before falling asleep. "Left."

"A turtle is giving us directions," Flash shook his head. "Now I've seen everything- oh, hi, little guy."

Everyone followed his look down. A large, red starfish blinked a Cyclopean eye at him, its mouth smiling with sharp pointed teeth, bouncing despite being perilously balanced on two... ends. Silence followed their look as the starfish bit a yellow-booted foot.

"Ow!" Flash leapt up as the starfish rolled away, giggling, to land at the feet covered by blue robes.

"Well, you haven't actually done anything drastic yet," Green Lantern remarked, looking at Flash moaning about his foot.

"How-?"

"Maiden, thank you for finding him," Yubel answered the pretty blue-haired woman carrying a steel trident.

"It is pure luck that we have come," the priestess shook her head. "There is no need for thanks, we are always at the service of those who serve the light and dark."

"In any case, thanks," Judai and Johan bowed.

"She threw me in the water! I almost drowned!" Lantern was telling to a stoic Bat.

"We leapt into the water with iron shackles on our feet off a pirate ship."

John Stewart froze at that. "...you guys have it weirder than I do."

"We've got to move now, though," Judai grinned at them as they returned to the pink-turtle podium. "So, which way to Venom Swamp?"

The pink turtle seemed to give them an odd look, but planted one flipper down anyway, before pointing to a nearby sign:

_None are to pass into the swamp of poison save those protected by the gods._

"That looks ominous," Flash smirked.

"Doesn't matter," Judai shrugged. "Everyone, stick together, and, whatever you do, do not lose focus. If I lose any of you guys through the Different Dimensions the rest of the Justice League will have words with me."

The brown-haired boy took a breath, no longer smiling but entirely serious. "Once we jump, your lives are in the hands of Darkness and your own wills as they will direct you towards the chosen destination. Once you lose direction, you end up floating past the dimensions, forever in limbo until you find a place. For all you know, you might end up in Pandemonium. We are going to Venom Swamp, the seat of power of snakes. Focus on that."

"That is scary," Lantern muttered. "Venom Swamp... even the place is scary."

"One, two..." Johan breathed in and out evenly. "Jump."

The feeling of falling into space took place once more as they shifted through dimensions to the space between dimensions, not truly in the game but there; the Different Dimensions.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Please review!<strong>_


	10. Snake Deity's Command

_**The last leg of the journey begins at Venom Swamp, and there the League meets an old enemy who suffers at the hands of Venominaga. There are interesting moral dilemmas as the heroes prepare for the final jump through the Different Dimensions to Oa. **_

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine: Snake Deity's Command<strong>

The first thing that hit him was the utter isolation.

Even in space, there was that music of the heavens, the songs of the spheres as gravity made its inexorable pull across galaxies in some clockwork design by some higher power.

Here, there was silence. Complete and absolute and _hungry._ Darkness so deep that light would be swallowed whole, flashes of the unknown within folds of shadow. An eternal crepuscule suspended between space and places and _there were hands reaching out for him, hands clammy and cold and faces of man and woman and they're all mouthing and bleeding and they're trying to drag him into the black-_

"Kal!"

_They want him, they want him to suffer as they did, in everlasting black and greys and suspension whites and silence-_

"Kal, use that Kryptonian strength I know you have and get free!"

_They laugh at him, that no one can ever understand save those who were trapped in hell called the Phantom Zone. Fear and pain? Mere trifles. Try and block out the endless shadows and receive only mocking laughter in ruthless return. Light is never so treasured as by those who have been blinded. __Try it. Try choking on the darkness until all you breathe is the night. Try wandering the endless pathways of your mind until days melt into years and into centuries more, and still all you can do is keep searching and pray for the darkness to vanish, try it, come-_

"We're here!"

And they landed in wet sopping blackness, cold but shocking and good, he realises. _It means I'm not there. It means I'm alive. It means... it means..._

"Now you know the true feelings of those trapped there," Yubel murmured, floating above all of them, smiling in that cold, calculating yet understanding way of hers like the Snow Queen before some hapless fool once more. "Can you not sympathise with them?"

Kal El swallowed. "That... was the Phantom Zone...?"

"Aye," Yubel murmured in reply as her feet touched the murky waters only just barely. "Judai?"

"I hate the bayou," Judai muttered as he struggled onto shore, shaking his head very much like a wet dog.

"I don't like it either," Johan struggled out, shrugging off his jacket quickly. "Reminds me of Professor Cobra."

"Him and the snake," Judai agreed.

Flash and Lantern struggled up as well, sopping wet, and even Batman seemed to be shivering. The shadows of the swamp flickered in the gloom, as if there were beings hiding in the shadows waiting...

Yubel hummed something under her breath as she finally stood on land, monotonous yet pleasant-sounding. The leaves rustled and something rattled as a figure rose. It wore green robes under a sweeping purple cloak, and bore a golden crown the shape of the top half of a cobra's head to cover its face. Snakes of a greenish hue hissed from all around it's body, and Batman swore that he could see a forked tongue dart out occasionally.

"Lord Vennominon," Yubel smirked. "So the King of Poisonous Snakes himself welcomes us."

"My Lady awaits," the sibilant voice hissed. "Come, dragon-queen, and we shall see for the better. The world of Light leaves its dead here, and it is the first time any from the dead can contact the living."

"Really?" Yubel looked interested. "Judai."

"Come, herald, warrior, runner, soldier of the Lantern, last son, dark knight," the figure bowed its head lightly. "My Lady awaits."

"So the grudging souls of the Reptiles linger here, under the care of their goddess," Zera observed quietly, far quieter than normal. "Grudging souls..."

They came to a clearing where the vines stretched in every direction, forming a canopy overhead. Snakes of size and description varied were present, basking in gloomy light, hanging from the vines, swimming in the central pond. From the murky waters of the pond... there was water so dark, so black that it resembled a mass of undulating snakes from the surface.

"Wait here, my mistress will attend to you." the king hissed. Everyone reacted as he drew a short leaf-blade knife, but made no further motion as he walked to the central pool.

"As an offering to the Snake Deity, I am the beginning of Her rise, and will be there to witness Her end." the King recited with an air of ritual. "As a snake bites its tail, the Ouroboros eternal comes full circle, where the beginning is the end."

Batman started as the blade sank into its own neck and the body keeled forward to be swallowed by the pool of black, yet stood his ground as a mass of writhing greenish snakes rose slowly, the mud flaking off the snakes to reveal eyes covered by a solid mask, a small mouth, gold jewellery, composed of a thick choker and belt and bracelets and torc glittering with green. Beside the richly dressed Medusa was the king, on his knees and bowing.

"My Lady, the Poisonous Snake Goddess, Venominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes," he announced.

"Dearesssst, prepare for my movement," that sibilant command issued forth from her mouth, the edges which were dotted with tiny fangs curved inwards. "Herald... I remember..."

"Venominaga," Judai frowned. "We weren't expecting a summons."

"Normally, I am more than capable of handling my... playthingssss," the snake-woman hissed in some displeasure. "But this one, he is rebellious and belligerent. Part of an old promisssse... and despite what you think of snakes, we must keep our promises. I have reason to believe this one had tried to escape me."

Batman swallowed as the dark waters undulated around the goddess before she rose, and came onto land, sliding her snake body with the ease of great practice across the mud towards the east.

"Come..." the snakes all hissed in a chorus of entreaties as everyone tentatively followed.

More vines snaked about, across the ways the dark goddess led, and everything remained eerily silent.

"Hey, I wonder what's that-" Flash tripped, grabbing onto a nearby stone for support. "Oh, thanks- eh?"

Red-gloved fingers crumbled the moss, brushing away the dust and damp to reveal features frozen in agony encased in stone.

Batman looked around. The clearing was now littered with such creatures, of bird and beast and man and in-between and many others, stuck into some parody of life by their stone holds, seemingly alive yet not. Vines grew around them, trees wrapped them, and slowly, slowly, there was evidence of statuary being broken and worn by time and damp and plant life as unforgiving vines dug their creepers deeper into the cracks.

It was a garden... and a prison.

"My newest toy," the serpentine deity hissed, her long, long tail wrapping around the statue as she waited for their reactions.

In life, Darkseid had been grey-skinned, bearing features that could have been carved from the very rock itself. In death, his features bore no difference, save that his gleaming red eyes, where once bore arrogance and complete belief in the superiority of self over the civilisation was replaced by some bone-deep weariness and suffering. As like the rest, parts of him were mottled with moss, and vines wrapped around him securely and tightly and drove their roots deep within and probably caused him pain.

"So you have brought the illusion of the son of Krypton this time," the statue, or rather half-statue, growled. "What shall you make me do this time? Learn my place? Stand at attention? Or just endure roots being driven into legs which I can feel although being turned into stone? You won't break me, Naga, you won't."

"Darkseid," Superman choked.

The former dictator remained silent. "...Kryptonian. Green Lantern. The Batman, I remember. The immature hero in red." His eyes gleamed as they reached Judai. "Herald. I have been waiting for you."

"Have you?" Judai politely replied.

"The darkness whispers of its agents, as does the light in the shadows," Darkseid scoffed. "As the only one who may defy Venominaga, as the one who stands a chance of getting me out of here, I knew that if I sent my troops to notify those precious to you, you would come. And you did, as the darkness said you would."

"In my Crepuscule?" the serpent goddess hissed, bristling with anger. "Herald..."

"So you sent them to attack Johan," Judai clarified. "So that I would come... and get you out of here?"

"If I am locked in darkness, Apokolips has no king," Darkseid gave a humourless chuckle. "The balance favours New Genesis day by day. As one who watches it, you have to free me."

"Perhaps you misunderstand me," Judai answered, his voice now cold as a winter storm. "I don't have to free you. I don't have to do _anything._ The old ruler of New Genesis will die soon, and he will repent as will you, and both will have new rulers,so the balance corrects itself. You, on the other hand... you owe a dear friend of mine, and _her_ dear friend as well."

"So, after about... what, a few years of this torture, you end up in the Black Garden strangled by roses day by day." Yubel lightly ticked off. "If we're lucky, we might give you to the Ice Queen, who has some trick about breaking minds. Or maybe we throw you to the Recurring Nightmare for a bit before we go to the Sorciere de Fleur or the Time Wizard where you'll relive your worst times."

"The Shadow Realm is nothing if not creative with its punishments," Zera nodded in agreement. "The punishment for trying to escape without due license is... what was it?"

"Caius issued the sentence as an additional century thrown in," Yubel considered. "Darkseid... see now. I promised you that I will drag you into the darkness I sprang from and bring you pain from everything in my power to. And now I have."

Blue lips brushed the greying brow as the Rose Fiend chuckled darkly. "Judai... Johan... we should leave now."

Batman was still staring at the spectacle that was the fearsome dictator god of Apokolips. "This..."

"Is the afterlife," Zera softly answered.

"That..." Lantern looked a bit green. "That looks sick. And we're just going to leave him there to continue?"

"Dude," Flash mimed throwing up. "I won't ever look at a statue the same way ever _again._"

"Shouldn't we save him?" Superman asked as they followed the snake goddess's lead. "Even if he did try to kill us or turn Earth into another Apokolips... that's the best thing to do, right?"

"His mind is too broken to do anything," Zera shook his head. "Venominaga would have made sure of that first, to remove the first few crutches of sanity any sentient being has, to force complete reliance of the jailer on those jailed."

"When we came, he was already expecting to be tortured," Batman recalled. "That... would mean that the ambition of escaping no longer exists in his mind. Or that he is biding his time to escape."

"There is no escaping the Shadow Realm," Yubel retorted, a tad sharply as gold threads of power spun around her. "He is bound by its obligations and rules and is its lawful prey. If he escapes, we have pursuit teams to track those."

"It feels completely inhuman to leave him there," Batman finally said after a long period of silence.

"That it may seem," Judai nodded, no longer smiling. "But that is the rule of this world. If he reincarnates, perhaps he would have learnt."

"It's... just cruel."

"This is being merciful," Yubel interjected. "Being cruel is when we slit his throat here so that he forever remains one of us in the darkness."

There was no way to argue back, nor was there a way or a will to snatch Darkseid back anyway, hence Batman chose the only option left as Venominaga led them to the last point to Oa.

He jumped, and he never looked back.

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	11. Epilogue: Court of Justice

_**They reach Oa at a rate that shouldn't be possible at all, and Kilowog is not happy. The trial finally begins; as a closed trial, and Judai is not happy. Batman shows lawyer skills? And the judgement is...**_

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><p><strong>Epilogue: Court of Justice<strong>

Solid marble had never seemed so comforting to Batman. He idly wondered how long had passed already. Seeing as the Shadow Realm was a world of forever night, there was no way to sleep soundly anyway, with the monsters and the urgency of the mission.

"Oh, you guys!" a very annoyed Kilowog ran up to them. "How did you get here earlier than me?"

"...magic," Batman succinctly replied, his jaw bland. Lantern and Flash gave him odd looks and even Superman looked like he was fighting not to laugh. "What?"

"Yubel's with me, and so is Zera... but I don't remember the rabbit," Judai idly commented, looking up.

A horrible thought occurred to the Great Bat and he tentatively reached up, to the pointy ears of the mask...

...and touched something soft. And plump. And furry. And from the looks currently being shot to him, giving the watery-eyed expression that would induce near-immediate sympathy in the next victim.

He put his hand down. "What rabbit? There's no rabbit."

The same look appeared on the faces of every passing Green Lantern, the judges, and even the Guardians of the Universe twisted up at the sight of the quivering bunny stuck on Batman's head.

Except for Judai. The brown-haired boy was irritated that the trial was going to be a closed-court.

"But Yubel's my friend!" He argued with the burly guard.

"I'll be fine, Judai," the fiend murmured quietly. "Do not worry. Even if I am considered guilty, they will have to have me come quietly first. And, most assuredly, I will not come quietly."

"I'm here with you," Johan gave him a small smile. "Yubel, don't worry. He'll be safe... for a given value of the term. Trouble follows him around, really."

"I trust you with him," Yubel agreed, before she turned around to walk into a court that might decide her end, the heroes of the Justice League trailing behind her like what they are; protectors.

* * *

><p>What seemed to be a geological epoch of waiting followed, and with Judai, it was almost never a good thing. Johan merely played a tabletop game with him constantly and they were already on the fifth round when, finally, the Rose Fiend appeared in her dark glory with the heroes of the Justice League.<p>

Silence followed before Yubel broke out in a grin. "Cleared of all charges."

"Alright!" Judai punched the air.

"We'll still be watching you," Lantern directed at Yubel, who completely ignored it.

"So, can we go now?" Johan asked a stoic-looking Bat, the rabbit now asleep and still stuck between the pointy ears.

"Yes," Batman inclined his head. "Although... I think we might have to follow you back."

Judai's face bore a smile nearly equal to the Cheshire cat. "Road trip!"

* * *

><p>"Dinosaurs!" The Flash screamed as the last of the portal closed on the reptilian monster. "Oh... we're back."<p>

"One hour," Batman realised. He was still standing in the middle of the atrium, and every hero passing by was giving him odd looks. "One _hour._ From Oa to Earth."

"No more transatlantic flights? Right, see ya, Bats!" Flash joked, before he ran off.

"One hour to pass through most Lanterns take days, or months, to get," Batman was considering. "They could declare war and we'll be none the wiser until the notices come in. Imagine how fast their transport network can be."

"Batman, enough," Superman told the increasingly paranoid Dark Knight. "How about you go back to Gotham, and handle the Joker? I'm sure that you'll feel better knowing that he's not running around causing trouble."

"I'll do that," the Dark Knight nodded, still dazed as he walked off. "I'll- why does my head feel heavy?"

"Mission completed," Superman told J'onn. "Although... I think Batman came back with more issues than before."

"I'll look into it," J'onn nodded. "Is there anything else to add?"

Superman opened his mouth, before he shut it, confused. "No, I don't think so. Thank you, J'onn."

He walked away with the secret safe, memories of the darkness and isolation promising to haunt his mind for nights to come.

* * *

><p>"So, how was the trip through the Shadow Realm, you say?"<p>

"..."

"Great. Very good. Well, except that I ran out of Mad Lobster."

"..."

"Fine, I'll go to Kajiki first thing. Anything else, Guardian?"

"..."

"Yes, I know, see you next world crisis."

_Click. _A flash of gold, and no other trace remained of the Herald of the Gentle Darkness.

* * *

><p>Hidden in another world, and shrouded in shadows, Venominaga the Deity of Poisonous Snakes laughed as she watched her toy struggle futilely against bonds that cannot be broken.<p>

"_You cannot stop me, darkness..._" the proud fighter roared to the darkness, like Ozymandias fighting fate.

_Well?_ He thought. _Answer that, darkness. _

_Take me if you can. But don't ever think that you'll win. I am Darkseid, I am a god... and gods will triumph._

Only silence answered, in the everlasting darkness between dimensions and space that none save those trapped in it will ever understand. Darkness... darkness and silence everlasting.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Conclusione della storia.<strong>_


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